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Written Question
Colombia: Peace Negotiations
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department plans to take at the UN Security Council as the penholder for Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement following the Security Council visit to that country.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In February, the UK jointly led the third UN Security Council (UNSC) visit to Colombia in support of the 2016 peace process. The Council met with President Petro and the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace to discuss progress and challenges for implementation of the 2016 Final Peace Agreement and the Government's efforts to broaden peace through dialogue with armed groups. The Council discussed the dialogue and temporary bilateral ceasefire with the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) which it has indicated a willingness to consider mandating the UN to monitor and verify. Through our role as penholder at the UN Security Council (UNSC), the UK will continue to work closely with international partners in support of the peace process in Colombia.


Written Question
Hamas: UNRWA
Tuesday 20th February 2024

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the press notice entitled Allegations about UNRWA staff and 7 October attacks: FCDO statement, published on 27 January 2024, what steps his Department is taking to review those allegations; and what estimate he has made of when that review will be concluded.

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

We are appalled by allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. We are pausing any future funding of UNRWA whilst we review these concerning allegations.The United States, Germany, Australia, Italy, Canada, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands have all temporarily paused funding.

The pause will remain in place until we review the allegations, and we are looking to our partners in the UN to carry out a robust and comprehensive investigation.

Any future funding decisions will be taken after this point.

Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response. We are getting on with aid delivery through funding multiple implementing partners including other UN agencies and international and UK NGOs. This support is helping people in Gaza get food, water, shelter and medicines.


Written Question
Gaza: Israel
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to paragraph 30 of the summary grounds of the Secretary of State in the case of The King (on the application of Al-Haq) v. Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether an assessment of Israel’s compliance with International Humanitarian Law in its military engagement in Gaza has been made under his Department's international humanitarian law compliance assessment process since 29 December 2023.

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

We regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and act in accordance with that advice. We continue to call for IHL to be respected and civilians to be protected. We continue to urge Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.


Written Question
Gaza: Israel
Wednesday 7th February 2024

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 10673 on Gaza: Israel, whether his Department has logged alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law by Israel in its military engagement in Gaza since October 2023.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

As stated in answer to PQ 11448, we regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to to International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We act in accordance with that advice.

As the Foreign Secretary has said, Israel has the capability and commitment to act within IHL. We continue to call for IHL to be respected and civilians to be protected.


Written Question
Gaza: Israel
Thursday 1st February 2024

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 10673 on Israel: Gaza, whether his Department has logged alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law by Israel in its military engagement in Gaza since October 2023.

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

We regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We act in accordance with that advice.

As the Foreign Secretary has said, Israel has the capability and commitment to act within IHL. We continue to call for IHL to be respected and civilians to be protected.


Written Question
Israel: Palestinians
Tuesday 16th January 2024

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 68798, whether his Department has recorded any incidents on its tracker database of alleged breaches or violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza in the last six months.

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

We continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including with reference to alleged breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Gaza. The UK supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, but we are also clear that Israel must comply with IHL and protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza. We consistently raise this in our engagements with senior Israeli officials, including in the Prime Minister's discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Foreign Secretary's recent calls with the Foreign Minister and Ron Dermer, the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs.


Written Question
Israel: Arms Trade
Thursday 28th December 2023

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the eligibility of arms export licenses to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza.

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

Every export licence application is assessed on a case by case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. As part of these assessments we take into account the nature of the equipment to be exported, the end user/s, and how the equipment is likely to be used. We also take into account our international commitments and obligations, which include the International Arms Trade Treaty. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require.


Written Question
Gaza: Israel
Wednesday 20th December 2023

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has taken steps to monitor the Israeli military's compliance with international law in its military engagements in Gaza.

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

Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have met with a range of senior Israeli officials, including the Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Herzog, to discuss Israel's approach to the campaign in Gaza. They have stressed the critical importance of abiding by International Humanitarian Law, minimising civilian casualties, and of acting in a way that delivers long-term security.


Written Question
Israel: Palestinians
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 68798 on Yemen: Military Intervention, how many incidents of alleged international humanitarian law violations have been logged in relation to the conduct of Israel in Gaza since October 2023.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Whether violations of International Humanitarian Law have occurred depends on numerous factors. We continue to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected and civilians to be protected. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary continue to press these in engagements with Israeli counterparts.


Written Question
Sierra Leone: Elections
Thursday 16th November 2023

Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Sierra Leone on alleged irregularities in the elections on 24 June 2023; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help prevent civil conflict in that country.

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

The UK is committed to supporting the aspirations of the Sierra Leonean people and has engaged stakeholders including the government, opposition, election bodies and international community in the months leading up to, during and after the elections. We have given consistent messages about the importance of free and fair elections, good governance and the rule of law. The former Foreign Secretary raised these issues during his March visit to Sierra Leone and in a telephone call with President Bio on 7 August. It remains vital that Sierra Leone's political leaders support the democratic process and reduce the risk of civil unrest.