Gaza: Humanitarian Situation
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations has he made to his Israeli counterpart on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Answered by Mr Hamish Falconer
The Prime Minister spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 29 July. He said that the situation in Gaza was intolerable and that the need for humanitarian access is now more pressing than ever before. He urged him to take immediate action to lift all restrictions on aid access and get those suffering in Gaza the food they need. Further to this, the Prime Minister made a statement on 29 July in which he outlined the need for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages still held by Hamas, and that the UN be allowed to send humanitarian assistance into Gaza on a continuing basis to prevent starvation in Gaza. We recognise Israel's decision to allow temporary pauses and partially unblock aid; however, we have been clear with our Israeli counterparts that this is not enough to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza. Restrictions on aid must be permanently removed, and the UN must be enabled to deliver aid safely and at-scale.
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