Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on the killing of (a) medical workers and (b) journalists in Gaza.

Gaza remains the deadliest place for humanitarians, and we continue to urge that humanitarian workers must be protected, and medical and aid workers must be able to do their jobs safely.

The Foreign Secretary and I have also both paid tribute to journalists risking their lives to report in Gaza. Journalists covering conflicts and medical workers in conflict zones are afforded protection under humanitarian law. The media have a right to report freely, and we urge all parties to permit journalists to carry out their crucial role. The UK remains committed to media freedom and to championing democracy and human rights around the world. Independent media is essential to a functioning society and there must be safe access for journalists to conflict situations in order to independently cover events. We continue to engage with our Israeli counterparts on these issues, including when the Foreign Secretary spoke to Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 21 July to stress the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.