Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the (a) Strategic Export Licensing Criteria and (b) licences issued to Israel.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The Foreign Secretary continues to discuss all aspects of the current conflict in Israel with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of The Technical Report for the United Nations Secretary-General, published on 22 April 2024.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.

We will set out our position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of the final report of the Independent Review Group led by Catherine Colonna, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations.

We remain absolutely committed to getting humanitarian aid to people in Gaza who desperately need it, including through other UN agencies and British charities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the level of settler violence in the West Bank.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK continues to take a strong stance against settler violence. Extremist settlers, by targeting and attacking Palestinian civilians, are undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians.

We have already moved to ban those responsible for violence in the West Bank from the UK and announced new sanctions designations against four extremist Israeli settlers who have violently attacked Palestinians in the West Bank.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help increase access to medical care for children in Gaza.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We are doing all we can to get more aid into Gaza by land, air and sea. A UK Med field hospital, funded by the UK, is up and running in Gaza. This facility is staffed by UK and local medics and has already treated thousands of patients.

We have provided targeted support for children through a £5.75 million contribution. This is supporting work to assist over 5,800 children with severe malnourishment and 853,000 children, adolescents and caregivers affected by the conflict to receive emergency and child protection services, including mental health and psychosocial support.

The Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have also underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza, and to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of medical personnel and facilities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the UK's strategic, long-term approach to supporting security in the Middle East.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We condemned in the strongest terms Iran's direct attack against Israel on 13 April. The UK will continue to stand up for Israel's security as well as the security of all our regional partners and we are still working with our allies to deescalate the situation.

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