Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the potential implications for his policies of claims made by the Israel Defense Forces that they have located a Hamas rocket-making facility inside a mosque in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City.

The Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Eli Cohen during his visit to Israel on 23 November 2023. Discussions centred on the urgent need for humanitarian aid to access Gaza during the humanitarian pause and how UK efforts can help alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The United Kingdom is outraged at Hamas' terror attacks in Israel, and supports Israel's right to self-defence, in line with International Humanitarian Law. We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. The UK supports equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike.