Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the (a) United Nations Relief and Works Agency and (b) United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on the number of civilians present in (i) Gaza City and (ii) northern Gaza.

We have no means of independently verifying numbers and it is difficult for organisations like the UN to accurately verify numbers. The UK, however, remains committed to the safety and security of those in Gaza and our focus right now is getting humanitarian aid into Gaza and to ordinary Palestinians there. Since 7 October, the UK Government has already announced an additional £30 million in humanitarian funding and has sent more than 51 tonnes of emergency relief for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). This funding will support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in responding to critical food, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza. We further maintain regular contact with both the UNRWA and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on a full range of issues relating to conflict in Israel and the OPTs.