Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the UK recognises the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in (a) Gaza and (b) other Occupied Palestinian Territories; and if he will support an urgent investigation by that Court into all allegations of breaches of humanitarian law in the current conflict.

The UK is a strong supporter of international justice and the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC). As an independent organisation, it is for the ICC Prosecutor to decide upon the focus of his investigations. Whether violations of International Humanitarian Law have occurred depends upon detailed knowledge of the operation, including the precise nature of the target, the methods used to attack, and the attacking party's knowledge and anticipated military advantage in launching that attack. The UK continues to call for International Humanitarian Law to be respected and civilians to be protected.