Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government why the UK did not vote against the UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on 8 December 2023.

The UK abstained on the 08 December UNSCR resolution, which called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, because it is the government's view that, for a ceasefire to be sustainable, the conditions need to be in place for it to not rapidly collapse. The Government recognises the need to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis however, and welcomes the adoption of UNSCR 2720, which calls for expanded humanitarian access in Gaza. The resolution also calls for steps towards a sustainable ceasefire, reflecting the recent calls from the Foreign Secretary. We want to see a peaceful resolution to this conflict as soon as possible and the UK will work with international partners to ensure the implementation of this resolution.