To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the status of Palestinian refugees following the recognition of the state of Palestine.
The status of Palestinian refugees is a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Recognition of the State of Palestine does not in any way alter the status of Palestinian refugees. The UK continues to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, and its vital work delivering humanitarian assistance and services to Palestinian refugees. This year we have provided £27.5 million to UNRWA.
My Lords, will the Minister accept that either Palestine is a real state and should deal with its own people or it is not, and recognition was a falsity? Since the UK recognises Palestine as a state, its citizens living in their state cannot, in principle, be refugees. Indeed, all the other Palestinians around the world are, or should be, citizens of that state and no longer stateless. It is UNRWA that is the problem. There is much new, reliable evidence that UNRWA is permeated with Hamas officials. UNRWA continues to inflate the number of refugees instead of settling them, and teaches them that they will remain refugees until they return to what they believe were their homes in what is now Israel, with the aim of obliterating the state. There will be no future for Gaza unless UNRWA is dismantled, wrapped up with the UNHCR, and the concept of Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza should disappear.
I thank the noble Baroness for that question. As I have said, the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine does not alter the status of Palestinian refugees, and the question of refugee status remains a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. We are deeply concerned to hear the accusations about UNRWA staff involved in 7 October 2023, and we welcome its commitment to fully investigate allegations against its employees and the continued implementation of the Colonna report’s recommendations to ensure neutrality and integrity.
As long as Israel maintains its occupation of Gaza and the consolidation and illegal expansion of settlements in the West Bank, the reality of a Palestinian state remains completely distant. As permanent members of the Security Council, what are Britain and France doing together to try to ensure the establishment of a Palestinian state and the resolution of the refugee problem?
I thank the noble Lord for that question. In the West Bank, settlement expansion and settler violence has increased; we must not lose sight of the West Bank, where stability is crucial. Israel must exercise restraint, stop settlement expansion, crack down on settler violence and end its financial stranglehold on the Palestinian Authority. We have imposed three rounds of sanctions on violent Israeli settlers and members of the Israeli cabinet.
On the noble Lord’s wider point about what we are doing, as he knows, we are working with partners to implement President Trump’s peace plan, and we have important priorities in the short term to stabilise the situation, maintain the ceasefire and work towards a Palestinian State and the two-state solution.
My Lords, why are we being so beastly to refugees? This is a Christian country and the Bible reminds us to be kind to strangers “for you are strangers in the land of Egypt”. Sikh teachings have similar sentiments. Palestinians have been continuously betrayed since the Balfour Declaration protecting their rights. Does the Minister agree that they deserve our sympathy and support?
I thank the noble Lord for that question and, yes, I would agree that refugees deserve our sympathy and support. In relation to Palestine specifically, we are providing £78 million for humanitarian and early-recovery support for Palestine this year. A couple of weeks ago, we allocated £20 million for essential water, sanitation and hygiene services. We have discussed this many times before in your Lordships’ House. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic and the way to improve it is to increase the number of entry points into Gaza, and we call on the Israeli Government to open all routes so that aid can flow. I know that the noble Lord’s question was rather wider than that, but it is important that we deal with the situation.
My Lords, the escalation of brutal attacks against Palestinians on the West Bank by people from illegal settlements may well increase the number of Palestinian refugees. I was glad to hear the Minister say that sanctions will be continued against such attacks, but can he say whether the Government will now take action to reduce the trade that is taking place between illegal settlements and the UK—indeed, to stop it altogether—not just in goods but in services and investments too?
I thank the noble Baroness for that question. I have already made clear the Government’s view on settlements in the West Bank. On sanctions, we do not give a running commentary on future sanctions, but I have already said what we have done in relation to that. On the other question the noble Baroness raises about trade and other links with the West Bank, our commitment is to work with international partners and multilateral institutions, and that, at this turbulent time, is a statement of principle in itself.
My Lords, I draw attention to my entry in the register, particularly as an adviser to the Council of Arab Ambassadors.
In terms of statements and symbolism, the recognition of Palestine has now happened. But, in terms of specific influence, what levers are His Majesty’s Government exercising—particularly in direct negotiation with Israel and the leadership of the Palestinians—to ensure the 20-point plan, and what specific lever is the UK responsible for in the plan? The time window is closing. We do not need statements and symbolism; we need action.
I totally agree with that question from the noble Lord and I am delighted he asked it. It is important that I make clear what the Government think are now the urgent priorities following the 20-point plan and our welcome for the ceasefire agreement led by President Trump. We want to move towards the disarming of Hamas and the UK has experience from Northern Ireland that we will deploy. We want to see the deployment of a ceasefire monitoring mission and an international security force, and the implementation of transitional governance arrangements in Gaza. I can tell the noble Lord, and indeed the whole House, that we have deployed UK civilian and military personnel to the Civil-Military Coordination Center that aims to co-ordinate reconstruction efforts across partners in Gaza. I hope the noble Lord will agree that we are doing everything we can for the moment.
My Lords, in light of President Trump’s comments about the removal of Palestinians from Gaza, do the Government believe that the Palestinians should be given the right to return to their homes there, and what action are the Government taking about the forceable removal of Palestinians and displacement within the Gaza Strip and the Occupied Territories?