PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Gaza: Internally Displaced People (9 November 2023)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on supporting people who have been displaced by the conflict in Gaza to return to their homes when it is safe to do so.

Asked by:
Andrew Western (Labour)

Our focus right now is getting humanitarian aid into Gaza. The most recent assessment of the United Nations is that the entire population of Gaza, some 2.2 million people, need access to safe drinking water and food. Since 7 October, the UK Government has announced an additional £30 million of humanitarian funding and sent more than 51 tonnes of emergency relief for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). This funding will support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and other trusted partners to respond to critical food, water, health, shelter and protection needs in Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary will continue to engage regularly and closely with his Israeli counterparts to press for humanitarian access to ensure the delivery of aid in the volume needed. The UK position is also clear: all sides must abide by their international obligations and all sides must respect International Humanitarian Law. Both the Prime Minister and the former Foreign Secretary have, in their discussions with Israeli counterparts, emphasised the importance of taking all possible measures to protect civilians.

Answered by:
David Rutley (Conservative)
20 November 2023