Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will seek assurances from Israel that Palestinians in Gaza will not be permanently displaced.

We are gravely concerned about the desperate situation in Gaza, and at the scale of civilian deaths and displacement. We maintain a continuous dialogue with Israel on the humanitarian situation, including in relation to the displacement of Palestinian civilians. As the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have both discussed with the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel must abide by International Humanitarian Law and take every effort to protect civilians. Ultimately, there must be a political solution: a two-state solution which provides justice and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. Leaving Hamas in power in Gaza would be a permanent roadblock on the path to a two-state solution.