Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of the cessation of the notification and coordination systems for aid workers moving through Gaza.

We are deeply concerned that the deconfliction system in Gaza, designed to protect humanitarian workers from harm, is no longer functioning. Gaza remains the most dangerous place for humanitarians in the world, with over 400 killed since 7 October 2023. We are appalled by recent reports of attacks on humanitarian workers, including the UN and Palestine Red Crescent. This is why the UK and France called a Security Council meeting on 28 March on the protection of aid workers in Gaza. Humanitarian personnel must be protected and never targeted. At the UN Security Council meeting on 3 April, we urged Israel to urgently restore effective deconfliction, to allow aid workers them to operate without coming under attack, and conduct thorough investigations into all incidents involving aid workers and medical personnel and ensure accountability for those responsible.