Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to identify any potential additional routes for humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza since July 2024.

The UK continues to call on Israel to increase humanitarian and commercial access into the Palestinian territories by ensuring all aid crossings are fully operational. This is particularly vital in the winter months as heavy rain and flooding are now exacerbating an already desperate humanitarian situation. We are clear that Israel can and must do more to get aid into Gaza. The Prime Minister stressed this in a call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on 19 October; and the Foreign Secretary reiterated this at the UN Security Council on 18 November. Israel must streamline processes at Ashdod, increase the flow of aid from Jordan and Egypt, and allow the commercial import of goods from Israel, the West Bank and neighbouring countries.