The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic but the UK is doing what it can to alleviate suffering.
It is vital that the Rafah crossing opens at the scale it operated before June 2024. We need to see Israel remove all restrictions and open all the crossings so that medical assistance, reconstruction materials and essential humanitarian aid can make it to the Gazans who need them.
I support the £81 million the UK is providing for humanitarian and early recovery support for Palestine this financial year. In January, supplies of UK-funded tents entered Gaza, providing urgent shelter. Ministers will continue to push for more UK-funded aid, including tents and shelter kits, as many urgently needed supplies remain stuck at the border due to the Israeli restrictions.
I support the US-led plan for Gaza’s post-conflict stability, which was endorsed by the UN Security Council on 17 November, and call for its implementation in full, and urge all parties to respect the terms of the ceasefire that came into effect on 10 October.
Ministers regularly assess Israel’s compliance with, and commitment to, international humanitarian law. It was these assessments which led the Government to suspend licences to Israel in September 2024 where the items might be used in military operations in Gaza. Most of the suspended licences have since expired, but I understand further licences applications have been refused on the same basis.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. I strongly condemn the increase in both violence by settlers against Palestinians and the settlements themselves. I support the UK’s sanctions on Israeli Ministers including Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Thank you once again to those constituents who have contacted me about this serious and important issue.
Best wishes
Rt Hon Hilary Benn
MP for Leeds South
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland