Oral Answers to Questions

Yasmin Qureshi Excerpts

Tuesday 30th April 2024 Commons Chamber

[Ian Levy (Blyth Valley) (Con)]

9. What steps he is taking to help get more aid into Gaza.

[Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East) (Lab)]

14. What recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

[Naz Shah (Bradford West) (Lab)]

20. What steps he is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Mitchell]

I pay tribute to the good people of Blyth, Cramlington and Seaton Valley for their generosity, and to my hon. Friend for helping to channel that goodwill so constructively. His constituents will want to support reputable non-governmental organisations and charities working to support humanitarian relief in Gaza.

[Yasmin Qureshi]

Israel has forced more than 1 million Palestinians to flee to Rafah, claiming it to be a safe zone, yet for months the Israeli military have been bombing Palestinians there relentlessly and, according to the UN, killing mostly women and children. Now it is planning a ground invasion that will lead to carnage. Does the Minister agree that President Biden could stop this with one phone call, and will he press him to do so?

[Mr Mitchell]

President Biden has been very heavily engaged in this matter. As the hon. Member knows, both the American and British Governments have pressed Israel not to launch an all-out assault on Rafah for the reasons that she set out. The shadow Foreign Secretary rightly said that he hopes that Hamas will accept the current deal on the table, and I agree with him.