Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government in the light of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published for the Secretary-General on 20 April, what assessment they have made of subsequent reports, and videos, of UNRWA's involvement with Hamas and its infrastructure.

We take these reports seriously and are following up with United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to establish the facts. We expect UNRWA to meet the highest standards of neutrality as laid out in Catherine Colonna's report, including staff vetting. We welcome UNRWA's decisive action and support their decision to terminate the contracts of individuals involved in the October 7 atrocities. Catherine Colonna's review found that UNRWA had policies and procedures in place to ensure the organisation's neutrality. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and to other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.