Found: Some of them are valuable business partners, such as the US, South Korea, Israel, Australia and

Found: sub-legislative levels into legislation to enhance legal certainty (e.g., Argentina, Canada and Israel

Found: countries, including Andorra, Argentina (only commercial organisations), the Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Israel

Found: CANADA 130 175 187 4% 2% ITALY 101 148 181 7% 5% DENMARK 127 185 179 4% -1% BELGIUM 116 186 178 5% -1% ISRAEL

Found: Israel, Singapore and the United States have approved cultivated meat and precision fermentation

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of recent Israeli military activity in the West Bank.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is concerned by the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) ongoing military operation in the occupied West Bank and attacks by Palestinian militants. We recognise Israel's need to defend itself against security threats, but we are worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. The risk of instability is serious and the need for de-escalation urgent. As our statement on 30 August made clear, we continue to call on the Israeli authorities to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and clamp down on the actions of those who seek to inflame tensions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on violence against Palestinian civilians.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are clear that International Humanitarian Law and the rules-based order must be upheld, and civilians protected. From the Prime Minister down, we have repeatedly urged Israel to improve aid access, minimise civilian casualties and engage seriously with negotiations for a ceasefire deal.

Given the grave concerns about the conduct and consequences of the war in Gaza for civilians, on day one in office, the Foreign Secretary commissioned a thorough review into Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law. The review concluded that there is a clear risk that some items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) as part of Israel's military operations in Gaza, and - in line with domestic legislation - suspended these exports. The Foreign Secretary set out this decision to the House on 2 September. The Foreign Secretary spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Katz on 2 September, and on 3 September spoke with Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, to discuss the UK's review of export licenses.

The Government will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire. It is clear that a ceasefire would not only protect civilians in Gaza, but also pave the way for wider de-escalation and bring much needed stability for the Middle East.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will raise the case of Alice Kisiya with his Israeli counterpart; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help protect land rights of Palestinians.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK's position is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We recognise settlements have reached record levels in the past year and have been accompanied by an increase in settler violence. We urge Israel to take greater action to hold violent settlers to account. During his visit in July, the Foreign Secretary met Palestinians displaced in the West Bank. He was horrified to hear of acts of violence carried out by settlers. The UK has sanctioned eight people and two entities responsible for perpetrating, inciting, and promoting human rights abuses against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. While we do not comment on specific cases, we keep all these issues under review, and we discuss them with our closest allies. The Foreign Secretary was clear with PM Netanyahu on his visit to Israel and the OPTs (July 2024) that the Israeli government must clamp down on settler violence and end settlement expansion.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the reported (a) use of violence and (b) detention of Palestinian land owners in the West Bank by Israeli (i) settlers and (ii) soldiers.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK's position is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We recognise settlements have reached record levels in the past year and there has been an increase in settler violence. We urge Israel to take greater action to hold violent settlers to account. The UK strongly condemns settler violence and provocative remarks such as those made by Israel's National Security Minister Ben-Gvir which threaten the status quo of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem. The UK has sanctioned eight people and two entities responsible for perpetrating, inciting, and promoting human rights abuses against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. We keep all these issues under review and we discuss them with our closest allies.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department’s policies of the increase in Israeli settlement expansion and the depopulation of Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK's position is clear. Settlements are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We recognise settlements have reached record levels in the past year and there has been an increase in settler violence. We urge Israel to take greater action to hold violent settlers to account. During his visit in July, the Foreign Secretary met Palestinians displaced in the West Bank. He was horrified to hear of acts of violence carried out by settlers. The Israeli Government has seized more of the West Bank in 2024 than in the past 20 years. This is completely unacceptable. The UK strongly condemns settler violence and provocative remarks such as those made by Israel's National Security Minister Ben-Gvir, which threaten the status quo of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem. The UK has sanctioned eight people and two entities responsible for perpetrating, inciting, and promoting human rights abuses against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. We keep all these issues under review, and we discuss them with our closest allies.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on compliance with (a) the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and (b) other provisions of international law by the Israeli authorities in the treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is concerned by credible claims of mistreatment of detainees, which the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) cannot investigate, having been denied access to places of detention.  The treatment of detainees was a factor taken into account in our decision on arms export licences, as set out in the summary of the international humanitarian law (IHL) process, decision and the factors taken into account [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-the-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account#:~:text=The%20government%20has%20conducted%20a%20thorough%20review%20of%20Israel%E2%80%99s%20compliance].

The Foreign Secretary made an Oral Statement to update the House on this decision on 2 September. The Foreign Secretary has repeatedly called for Israel to allow the ICRC access to detainees in accordance with International Humanitarian Law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The UK unequivocally condemns all violations and abuses, including sexual violence and violence against children, and calls for all reports to be fully investigated to ensure justice for victims and survivors. The arrest and detention of children should follow due process, in line with international juvenile justice standards.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of supporting Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, in line with the amended diplomatic positions of (a) France, (b) the US, (c) Israel and (d) Spain.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Successive UK Governments have regarded the status of Western Sahara as undetermined. The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise. The UK continues to support UN-led efforts and, in particular, the work of Staffan de Mistura as Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara. Officials regularly discuss Western Sahara with international partners, including the UN, Morocco, and Algeria; we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement of 2 September 2024 on Middle East Update, Official Report, column 37, if he will hold discussions with counterparts in other countries involved in the F-35 global supply chain on the potential merits of collectively withholding export licenses for F-35s to Israel.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Our licencing decisions are based on our own processes. At the present time exports to the F-35 Programme will be excluded from this suspension, except where the exports would go direct to Israel, for the reasons set out in the Foreign Secretary's statement on 2 September.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement entitled Middle East Update of 2 September 2024, Official Report, column 37, what information his Department holds on whether Israeli F-35 jets have been used to commit violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK's robust export licensing criteria states that the government will not issue export licences if the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law. On this basis, we have suspended certain export licences for items that could be used in the current conflict in Gaza. The UK is the only producer and supplier of certain critical components of the F-35, including a global pool of spare parts used to sustain and repair aircraft in service. Any suspension to Israel alone is not possible without undermining the programme overall, which would have serious implications for international peace and security.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral contribution of 2 September 2024 on Middle East, Official Report, column 37, what discussions he had with his counterpart in the US Government prior to his decision not to suspend export licences for F-35 fighter jet components.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to his US counterpart about a wide range of issues. Our licencing decisions are based on our own processes and are not led by the decisions of others.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on (a) escalating violence, (b) compliance with international humanitarian law by Israeli forces and (c) accountability for recent settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to call on Israeli authorities to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and clamp down on the actions of those who seek to inflame tensions. The Government is deeply concerned by the ongoing IDF military operation in the occupied West Bank and the attacks from Palestinian militants. It is in no one's interest for further conflict and instability to spread in the West Bank.

The UK strongly condemns settler violence and provocative remarks such as those made by Israel's National Security Minister Ben-Gvir, which threaten the status quo of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem. The Foreign Secretary was clear with PM Netanyahu on his visit to Israel and the OPTs in July that the Israeli government must clamp down on settler violence and end settlement expansion. The UK has sanctioned eight people responsible for perpetrating and inciting human rights abuses against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and two entities. We keep all these issues under review and continue to discuss them with our closest allies.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of changes in the level of (a) humanitarian access, (b) protection of humanitarian facilities and personnel and (c) accountability in relation to violence against humanitarian facilities and personnel in Gaza since 5 July 2024; and what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on those issues.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As set out in the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 2 September, it is the assessment of this Government that Israel could reasonably do more to ensure that life-saving food and medical supplies reach civilians in Gaza. I raised this concern with Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely during our meeting on 24 July, making clear that significantly more aid needed to be delivered for Israel to fulfil its commitment to 'flood' Gaza with aid.

We continue to press Israel for safe distribution of aid and an improved deconfliction mechanism to keep humanitarian operations safe from military operations. We have been clear that if Israel's personnel are responsible for incidents, they should be held accountable. All parties must abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law. This was raised by the Foreign Secretary in his visit to Israel on 16 August.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement entitled Middle East Update of 2 September 2024, Official Report, column 37, what assessment he has made of whether equipment relating to licenses that have not been suspended could be used in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK assesses export licences against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC), which state that a licence will not be granted for an item if the Government determines there is a clear risk that it might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law. The export licences that were suspended by the government on 2 September effectively cover all arms exports for use in the current conflict in Gaza, except for those components for F-35 aircraft which, for reasons outlined in the Foreign Secretary's Statement and the Business and Trade Secretary's Written Ministerial Statement, have been excluded from the suspension.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many licences for arms export to Israel were granted in (1) July, and (2) August; and how those numbers compare to the number granted in the first half of 2024.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK operates one of the most transparent export licensing systems in the world. We publish quarterly and annual statistics on all our export licensing decisions, including information on export licences granted, refused and revoked. On 11 June 2024, we published an ad hoc data release on export licensing relating to Israel. That ad hoc release was done due to the exceptional circumstances and the Parliamentary and public interest at the time. Since then, in June 2024, the Government released Official Statistics covering all licensing decisions from July to December 2023. Official Statistics for July and August 2024 have not yet been published. Information covering January to July 2024 are planned to be released by November 2024.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 2 September 2024, HCWS64, whether he has had discussions with his counterparts in other countries in the F-35 global supply chain on the potential merits of suspending indirect exports of F35s to Israel.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The F-35 programme is the largest international collaborative defence programme in the world. The UK cannot make changes to the F-35 programme unilaterally – any change requires agreement across all Partner Nations. Regular discussions with programme partners on the operation of the programme are ongoing.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what trade deals his Department is (a) negotiating and (b) not currently negotiating.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We are resuming delivery of the UK’s programme negotiating new and updated FTAs, starting with the Gulf Co-operation Council, India, Israel, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and Turkey. This is the extent of the current bilateral FTA programme. The Secretary of State has written to these international partners, and we expect the first discussions in the resumed programme to start this Autumn. We are also committed to ensuring UK businesses can take full advantage of CPTPP when it enters into force in December.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to help ensure that civil society organisations working on peacebuilding in Israel and Palestine are integrated into a future diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The death and destruction in Gaza is intolerable. The UK is pushing for an immediate ceasefire. The fighting must stop, the hostages must be released and much, much more aid must enter Gaza. A deal is on the table, and we are urging both sides to show flexibility. The Civil Society organisations we work with are valuable partners of the government, and we welcome the opportunity to continue to work with them closely.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his counterpart in Israel on the fire engine donated to Palestinian firefighters in Nablus that has been held by the port authorities in Ashdod since 21 July 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK continues to call on Israel to increase humanitarian and commercial access into the Palestinian territories by ensuring all aid crossings are fully operational, including the port of Ashdod. During his recent trip to Israel, the Foreign Secretary met with Israeli Officials and raised the urgent need for a rapid increase of aid for those most in need. Officials will raise the matter of this donation directly with the Israeli authorities at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of Save the Children's press notice entitled Physical abuse, infectious disease spreading as conditions for Palestinian children in Israeli military detention deteriorate, published on 22 July 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We engage regularly with Save the Children and received this report directly from the organisation. Save the Children is part of the BOND Occupied Palestinian Territories working group, and regularly raises the impact of the conflict on children. The most effective means of addressing these concerns is through UK funding to humanitarian partner organisations, and our advocacy work.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help increase levels of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As set out in the Foreign Secretary's statement on 2 September, it is the assessment of this Government that Israel could reasonably do more to ensure that lifesaving food and medical supplies reach civilians in Gaza, in the light of the appalling humanitarian situation. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary continue to press Israeli leaders to deliver on their promise to "flood" Gaza with aid, including in two Foreign Secretary visits to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Prime Minister has spoken to PM Netanyahu and PM Mustafa.

The UK trebled its aid commitment to the OPTs in the last financial year and this Government will maintain significant funding this financial year to support trusted aid agencies on the ground. This includes £5.5 million to UK-MED, £6 million for UNICEF, and £21 million new UK funding to UNRWA, which will also support lifesaving work in Gaza.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure the safety of humanitarian workers delivering aid in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government remains concerned about the security of humanitarian workers in Gaza and continues to raise this issue internationally - including at the UK-led session at the UN Security Council on 29 August. Over 280 aid workers have been killed in Gaza, more than in every other conflict globally combined this year. We continue to press Israel for safe distribution of aid and an improved deconfliction mechanism to keep humanitarian operations safe from military operations. This was also raised by the Foreign Secretary in his visit to Israel on 16 August.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he was made aware that nine staff of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) may have been involved in the attack on Israel of 7 October 2023 (a) during his discussion with UN Secretary-General Guterres and (b) prior to his decision to reinstate funding to UNRWA.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

In January, the UK paused funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) following allegations that 19 staff were involved in the 7 October Hamas attack.

Catherine Colonna conducted an independent review that found the existing UNRWA framework was "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. The Foreign Secretary called the UN Secretary-General on 18 July to discuss funding to UNRWA. He then announced resumption of funding to UNRWA on 19 July. The UN's Office of Internal Services Oversight (OIOS) led an investigation into the specific allegations against individual staff members. On 5 August, OIOS findings concluded that nine members of UNRWA may have been involved in the atrocities. We welcome UNRWA's action to terminate the contracts of these individuals.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the security situation in Israel.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has visited Israel and discussed the security situation with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Katz. We continue to urge Israeli and other regional actors to engage with the US-led discussions to reach a political settlement and resolve tensions diplomatically. A widening of the conflict is in nobody's interest. The Government is working in lockstep with our allies to de-escalate tensions and urge all parties to end the destructive cycle of retaliatory violence.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the security situation in Israel.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Secretary of State for Defence has regular discussions with his Israeli counterpart regarding the security situation in Israel.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of Save the Children's press notice entitled Gaza's missing children: Over 20,000 children estimated to be lost, disappeared, detained, buried under the rubble or in mass graves, published on 24 June 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is deeply concerned by the devastating impact of the conflict on children in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary has publicly condemned the tragic loss of civilian life since this war began and has made clear that all parties must comply with International Humanitarian Law. On 2 September, the Foreign Secretary noted in his Statement on the Middle East that Israel could reasonably do much more to ensure life-saving food and medical supplies reach civilians in Gaza.

Israel must respect the rights and vulnerabilities of children and the critical infrastructure that serves their basic needs. On 7 August, during her visit to the region, the Minister of State for Development announced £6 million in funding for UNICEF to support vulnerable families in Gaza with lifesaving water, healthcare and specialist treatment for malnourished children. On 4 September I signed an agreement with Kuwait to deliver £4.5 million of joint support via UNICEF into Gaza and Yemen.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to examine alleged instances of damage to (a) water, (b) sanitation and (c) Hygiene infrastructure in Gaza when commissioning future legal advice on arms sales to Israel.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has committed to keeping our position on suspension of around 30 export licenses to Israel for use in Gaza, over International Humanitarian Law (IHL) concerns under review. The UK assesses export licences against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC), which state that a licence will not be granted for an item if the Government determines there is a clear risk that it might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of IHL. When reviewing licensing decisions against these criteria in the context of the conflict in Gaza, the Government considers Israel's commitment and capability to comply with IHL, as well as aspects of its record of compliance. Those assessments are supported by a detailed evidence base, including analysis of the conflict from international bodies, NGOs and partner countries, as well as statements and reports by the Israeli Government and military representatives. The government has published a summary of the IHL process, decision and the factors taken into account [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/summary-of-the-international-humanitarian-law-ihl-process-decision-and-the-factors-taken-into-account#:~:text=The%20government%20has%20conducted%20a%20thorough%20review%20of%20Israel%E2%80%99s%20compliance].

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the reported treatment of released Israeli hostage Andrey Kozlov.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The treatment of hostages still cruelly detained by Hamas is a matter of international concern. We are clear in our call - Hamas must release all hostages immediately. This government has prioritised working to end this conflict and secure the safe release of hostages since day one. The Foreign Secretary and I have both recently met with families with links to the UK whose loved ones have been murdered or taken by Hamas and reiterated our commitment to using all diplomatic avenues to secure their release.

We welcome the tireless efforts of our partners in Qatar, Egypt and the United States, and fully endorse their joint statement calling for the immediate resumption of ceasefire negotiations and a hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. This deal is the best way to get the remaining hostages out. We are urging all sides to show flexibility.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the Hezbollah attack on Majdal Shams on 27 July 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK unequivocally condemns the strike in Golan Heights that has tragically claimed at least 12 lives. Hizballah must cease their indiscriminate attacks and their destabilising activity. The Foreign Secretary spoke with Israel's Foreign Minister Katz on 4 August following the attack, offering his condolences for the death of innocent children in Madj al Shams. He expressed the Government's concern about the escalation in tensions and the growing potential for miscalculation across the de-facto border between Lebanon and Israel. We continue to urge both Israel and Lebanon to engage with the US led discussions to reach a political settlement and resolve their tensions diplomatically.   A widening of the conflict is in nobody's interest. The Government is working in lockstep with our allies to deescalate tensions and urge all parties to end the destructive cycle of retaliatory violence.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help secure the release of people taken hostage by Hamas.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This government has prioritised working to end this conflict and secure the safe release of hostages still cruelly detained by Hamas since day one.  During their joint visit to the region, the Foreign Secretary and French Foreign Secretary Stéphane Séjourné met with Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz to reiterate the need to end the conflict in Gaza and secure the release of hostages. Both the Foreign Secretary and I have met with hostage families with links to the UK whose loved ones have been murdered or taken by Hamas and reiterated our commitment to using all diplomatic avenues to secure their release.

We welcome the tireless efforts of our partners in Qatar, Egypt and the United States, and fully endorse their joint statement calling for the immediate resumption of ceasefire negotiations and a hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.  This deal is the best way to get the remaining hostages out. We are urging all sides to show flexibility.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Attorney General on the International Court of Justice's warrant to arrest the Israeli Prime Minister.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and the Attorney General speak regularly as fellow Cabinet ministers. The UK has received the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the 'Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem'. The UK is considering the Opinion carefully before responding. The UK respects the independence of the ICJ. The UK will await the final decision of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber on the Prosecutor's application for arrest warrants. No warrants have been issued by the court. The UK respects the independence of the ICC.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report by Oxfam entitled Water War Crimes, published 18 July 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This Government is clear that International Humanitarian Law must be upheld, and civilians protected. Israel must take steps working with humanitarian agencies to fully restore water supplies and to significantly increase the flow of aid into and through Gaza. We have consistently raised water supplies and the opening of vital water lines with Israel throughout the conflict

The FCDO is monitoring the impact of the recent evacuation orders on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to respond to Hezbollah military activity against Israel.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are working in lockstep with our allies to deescalate tensions and urge all parties to refrain from perpetuating the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence. All sides must show restraint and work to prevent escalation. The Prime Minister spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 20 August. The Foreign Secretary spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Aragchi on 23 August, and with Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Dermer on 25 August. The Foreign Secretary has also had calls with other key partners including Egypt, Jordan and the UAE to press these messages. The Government will continue to support Israel's security and to urge Israel and Lebanon to engage with the US-led discussions to resolve their disagreements diplomatically and reach a political settlement.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) capacity of (i) hospitals and (ii) primary health care centres and (b) availability of (A) medicine and (B) basic medical supplies in Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO is closely monitoring the impact of the conflict in Gaza on health. We collect information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners based in Gaza.

According to the WHO, no hospitals in Gaza are fully functional. 16 hospitals out of 36 are partially functioning. Of primary health care facilities, only an estimated 30-35 percent are functional compared to pre-conflict levels. This has fallen sharply as a result of recent evacuation orders in the Deir el Balah area. We are also aware of significant constraints on the availability and delivery of medicine and medical supplies to health care facilities. The UK continues to call on Israel to facilitate unfettered aid into Gaza, to address this serious issue.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to bring UK sanctions in line with the humanitarian exemption in UN Security Council Resolution 2664.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK played a central role in helping secure UN Security Council Resolution 2664 - a landmark step that introduced a cross-cutting exemption to the asset freeze measures to further support humanitarian delivery. The exception applies to the UK's 7 UN sanctions regimes and 12 mixed UN and UK autonomous sanctions regimes.

Our UK regimes include humanitarian provisions including licensing grounds and exceptions to support humanitarian assistance, whether that be to a specific entity, or via a General Licence. For example, HMG has issued General Licences to facilitate humanitarian activities in Syria, and in relation to the current conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart about recent Israeli military activity in the West Bank.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is concerned by the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) ongoing military operation in the occupied West Bank. We recognise Israel's need to defend itself against security threats, but we are very worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. We continue to call on Israeli authorities to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and clamp down on the actions of those who seek to inflame tensions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 19 July 2024 on Israel and Gaza, Official Report, column 301, what discussions he has had with representatives of UNRWA on the management reforms recommended in the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024, that will be supported by UK funding.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and Minister Dodds spoke to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, in July. They discussed UNRWA's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality led by Catherine Colonna. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.

Catherine Colonna's report found the existing UNRWA neutrality framework "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all the review's recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's £21 million support to UNRWA this financial year will support implementation of these reforms.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to update the guidance by his Department entitled Overseas Business Risk: Israel section, published on 16 June 2023, to include (a) reference to the publication and (b) an assessment of the implications of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice entitled Legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, published on 19 July 2024.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has received the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on the 'Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem'. The UK is considering the Opinion carefully before responding. The UK respects the independence of the ICJ.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) industrial and (b) military participation in the F35 programme is not impacted by the decision to ban certain arms exports to Israel.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Military and industrial participation in the F35 programme will not be affected by the decision to suspend some exports licenses to Israel.

This Government has an unwavering commitment to the security not just of this country but to our allies around the world. The global F35 programme has a broader strategic role in NATO, our support for Ukraine, and the capability of our allies.

In this context, with a view to ensuring international peace and security, the Government took the decision to exclude exports to the global F35 programme from the suspension decision, except where going direct to Israel.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to support international partners with ceasefire discussions on Gaza.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary and I have stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in our conversations with Israeli, Arab and regional leaders. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this message during visits to the region on 14-15 July and 31 July - 1 August and during his recent joint visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories with his French counterpart on 16 August. The Prime Minister has also joined international leaders in this call.

There has been a renewed push for a diplomatic solution and the Foreign Secretary has joined statements by the G7, and with the United States, France, Germany, and Italy, reinforcing the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the discussions to bring it about. Such a deal is absolutely critical. The UK welcomes the tireless mediation efforts of our partners in Qatar, Egypt and the United States, towards an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

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