Contributions
909 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationFrankly, the solution would be for Hamas to come out of their tunnels and surrender so that Gaza can return to normality. That is what we hope might happen.04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationNot at this stage, but we will continue to take note.04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Gentleman is stating the fact of the matter: international humanitarian law, which we expect all sides to follow, is there to be upheld.04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationWe continue to be forthright in our support for the absolute right of Israel to defend its people and its sovereignty. The tragedy that has unfolded following the Hamas terrorist…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Lady makes a good point about disease. It is why a large portion of the tripled humanitarian fund of £60 million, channelled through the three UN agencies, will be…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationI would say gently to the hon. Gentleman that in actuality this is a war on Hamas.04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Lady says that one humanitarian pause is not enough. Of course it is not enough; that is why we are arguing for another. That is an important part of our sense of there…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationWe have long been on record as calling for all parties to abide by international humanitarian law.04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Lady makes a painful allusion to the view of Save the Children; a large proportion of our increased aid budget is going to UNICEF to support children who have been…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationIt will be no surprise that I do not share the right hon. Gentleman’s assessment or view of the context. It is clear that Israel’s objective is to defend itself against the…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Lady makes a good point, but tragically the reason is that Hamas have often sought to embed themselves among civilian infrastructure, and as long as that is the case,…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationWe have argued, and will continue to argue, for restraint. The whole House will share the anguish that the hon. Gentleman expresses about the humanitarian and human impact. We…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Lady is correct that the pause was not sufficient to meet all the humanitarian needs. That does not stop us arguing for a further pause, because of course that is the…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Gentleman makes a good point about post-war reconstruction and the return of civilians. Of course, the UK will be at the heart of the international response that will…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Gentleman talks painfully about the humanitarian impact. Of course, the tragedy is that Hamas do not want a ceasefire, and therefore the conflict will surely continue.04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationRegrettably, Hamas do not want a ceasefire. It would be good if that were the case, but it is not. They are a terrorist group committed to the destruction of Israel and they are…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Gentleman makes an interesting point. We are certainly using our regional network of diplomacy and diplomatic presence to discuss regional solutions that may involve…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationThe hon. Lady paints a moving picture of the terrible human cost. That is why we will continue to call, with renewed effort, for a humanitarian pause so that a greater degree of…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationWe support, and are on record as supporting, Israel’s right to defend itself, and our relationship with Israel is in accordance with that. That does not mean that we do not at the…04 Dec 2023HANSARDGaza: Humanitarian SituationWe are acutely aware of the manifold health risk in Gaza. That is why we have tripled our aid budget, a lot of which will be channelled through OCHA, UNICEF and UNRWA to attend to…04 Dec 2023