Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent steps he has taken to ensure the protection of journalists in Gaza.

We recognise the valuable role of journalists operating on the ground in Gaza, providing important coverage of the conflict in incredibly challenging circumstances. On 5 December, the UK supported a joint statement of the Media Freedom Coalition expressing concern over the repercussions for the safety of journalists and access to information due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. We continue to call on all parties to the conflict to comply with international law and protect civilians, including guaranteeing the protection of journalists and media workers.

There must be a reduction in civilian casualties and Israel must take greater care to limit its operations to military targets. These are points that the Prime Minister has consistently made and reinforced with Prime Minster Netanyahu when they spoke on 15 February.