Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the oral contribution of the Second Church Estates Commissioner on 11 January 2023, Official Report, column 443, whether his Department has sought information on the (a) whereabouts and (b) wellbeing of staff from the Anglican al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza who were taken by the Israeli Defence Force.

It is the longstanding policy of successive UK Governments that we do not comment on individual cases. However, we are concerned over reports about Israeli detention practices. The Government is clear that administrative detention should be used only where it is justified in accordance with international law. Those under detention should either be charged or released. The UK is committed to working with Israel to secure improvements in its detention practices and repeatedly calls on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law. The safety of humanitarian personnel and healthcare workers in Gaza is critical to enable aid to reach those who need it most.