Found: response under close review. 38: The Government must not be silent on human rights abuses, including state hostage

Found: Communications -Malicious Prose cution -Child Cruelty -Animal Cruelty, GBH, Battery, Sexual Assault, Hostage

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international partners about securing Red Cross access to hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government strongly supports and advocates for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) being given access to hostages. Ministers and senior officials have discussed this in multiple meetings with ICRC officials in the UK and overseas. In line with their mandate, the ICRC has called for the immediate release of all the hostages and for access to them whilst in captivity. So far, the ICRC has been denied access to the remaining hostages in Gaza. The ICRC has no means to compel conflict parties to provide it access and requires agreement from the respective parties to the conflict to visit hostages. The ICRC facilitated the release of 105 hostages as part of the deal agreed between Hamas and Israel in November 2023. The Government continues to call for a humanitarian pause to allow for the release of the remaining hostages.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, together with allies, to persuade those holding Israeli citizens hostage in Gaza to release them without delay.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages. The Foreign Secretary met with hostage families on 18 March, reaffirming the UK's commitment to see the release of all hostages.

We have been clear that the release of all hostages is one of the vital elements for a lasting peace. The Government continues to call for an immediate humanitarian pause to allow for the release of hostages.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to implement the recommendation by the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee in its report, Stolen years: combatting state hostage diplomacy, published on 4 April 2023, that a position of Director for Arbitrary and Complex Detentions should be established.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO is committed to dedicating senior leadership and expertise in our approach to complex detention cases. We continue to believe that our current approach, led by the Foreign Secretary and his Ministers, and supported by senior officials and Heads of Mission, provides the most appropriate means for coordinating our case handling and responses to the most complex consular cases.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help secure the release of Israeli hostages.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The Foreign Secretary met the Sharabi and Popplewell families on 16 January to hear about their relatives' horrendous ordeals at the hands of Hamas. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary also met with hostage families on 21 January.

We will continue to do all we can to secure the release of all hostages. We need a humanitarian pause now to allow for the release of hostages. We will continue to do all we can.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK government has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages, including British nationals and their families. Release of hostages was a priority for the recent Foreign Secretary visit to the Middle East where he held high level talks with regional leaders and met with hostage families. We are calling for an immediate humanitarian pause now to get aid in and remaining hostages out, and as a vital step towards building a sustainable, permanent ceasefire. To achieve that, Hamas must agree to the release of all hostages.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the International Committee of the Red Cross concerning securing access to Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since October 7, the UK government has been working with relevant partners across the region, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, to help secure the release of hostages and better understand their status, including working to gain information on proof of life and access to medical professionals. As the Foreign Secretary has said, we need a humanitarian pause now to allow for the release of hostages.

Found: country; is deeply concerned over Tehran’s growing use of terrorism, espionage, cyber attacks and hostage

Urge Israel to allow safe havens on the Israeli side of the border for Palestinian children, women, the elderly, hospital evacuees. Israeli academics have proposed such safe havens (The Guardian 1/11/23) to be run by the UN/Red Cross; financed by the international community and protected by Israel.

Found: The attack (and hostage taking) on 7 Oct 23 by Hamas was horrific.

Found: Taking of Hostages Act 1982 28 An offence under section 1 of the Taking of Hostages Act 1982 (hostage-taking

Found: reasonable grounds to believe that the protected person is a victim of arbitrary detention, State hostage-taking

Found: Hostages Act 1982 (c. 28) 18 An offence under section 1 of the Taking of Hostages Act 1982 (hostage-taking

Found: Hostages Act 1982 (c. 28) 18 An offence under section 1 of the Taking of Hostages Act 1982 (hostage-taking

Found: Hostages Act 1982 (c. 28) 18 An offence under section 1 of the Taking of Hostages Act 1982 (hostage-taking

Found: Hostages Act 1982 (c. 28) 18 An offence under section 1 of the Taking of Hostages Act 1982 (hostage-taking

Found: movement at the local level by elements of hostile and/or unsupportive actors, often accompanied by hostage