Extracts from
PMQs
(Leeds East) (Lab): Thirty
thousand Palestinian deaths are not enough to move this Prime
Minister to end arms sales to Israel The killing of
British aid workers is not enough to move the Prime Minister to
end arms sales. It even seems that an all-out assault on Rafah,
with all the death and destruction that would entail, would not
be enough for him, unlike the US, so just what on earth would be
enough finally to move this Prime Minister into the same position
as the majority of the British public and end arms sales
to Israel
The Prime Minister: I point out to the hon. Gentleman that,
unlike the US, the UK Government do not directly sell arms to
Israel and neither do
the UK Government offer any military lethal aid packages
to Israel as the US does.
He should not conflate these issues.
As part of the Government's robust arms control regime, we
regularly review advice to ensure compliance with international
law, and Ministers act in accordance with that advice. As the
hon. Gentleman knows, our position with regard to export licences
is unchanged following the most recent assessment, and it is,
indeed, in line with other partners, including the United States.
Dr (Tooting) (Lab): In
Gaza, Israel has attacked
hospitals, attacked refugee camps and killed aid
workers. Israel has blocked
vital aid, turned off water supplies and denied access to
food. Israel has killed
thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians as the world
watches, trampling all over international humanitarian law. No
other country would be allowed to act with such impunity. Why
does the Prime Minister allow Israel to get away
with it unchallenged? And why does he continue to act as a
bystander to such horror?
The Prime Minister: We do support, and I do support, Israel's
right to defend itself and remove the threat that Hamas, the
terrorist organisation, pose to its people. But I am also deeply
concerned about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and I
have consistently made that point at this Dispatch Box and to
Prime Minister Netanyahu. We must see further action to ensure
that more aid gets to people who desperately need it; the Rafah
and Kerem Shalom crossings must be open to allow more aid in. We
are doing everything we can, trebling our investment; trying to
get aid in by land, air and sea; and currently working with
allies to build a temporary pier. The hon. Lady can rest assured
that the Government will continue to do everything we can to get
support to the people in Gaza who need it.
Oral answer (Lords) on
UNRWA
Asked by
To ask His Majesty's Government what diplomatic steps they are
taking in response to the temporary closure of the East Jerusalem
headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East following attacks.
The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Office () (Con)
My Lords, immediately following the arson attack against UNRWA's
headquarters in east Jerusalem, I made clear through a statement
that the attack was completely unacceptable. We have also called
for the violent perpetrators of this attack to be held to
account, and also for Israel to ensure the
protection of UN facilities and staff. We cannot allow room for
extremism of any kind. That is a view shared by many of heads of
mission, which have made similar representations.
(Lab)
My Lords, I am glad that the Minister has made such
representations. Of course, UN internal documents and the head of
UNRWA have reported months of attacks, obstruction and
interference with UNRWA's work. I hope that the Minister will
continue to make those representations to the Israeli authorities
to ensure that these humanitarian workers are properly protected.
Has he also raised the attacks on humanitarian convoys and
trucks, which are also impeding the delivery of support?
Can I also ask the Minister about UNRWA funding? The Colonna
review—the Minister has referenced it several times—has now
concluded, and countries such as Canada and Australia have
resumed financial aid. The Foreign Secretary, however, told Laura
Kuenssberg that he was “more demanding” and was awaiting the
findings of the final UN Office of Internal Oversight Services
before we resume funding. Can the Minister explain when we can
expect a decision to restore funding to this vital tool for
getting aid into the Occupied Territories and Gaza?
(Con)
My Lords, on the noble Lord's first question, both the Foreign
Secretary and I have raised these issues quite directly and have
issued statements. Trucks were going through the Jordan crossing
and through the Erez crossing, which the United Kingdom has
advocated for. It is a real tragedy that many of those trucks—a
40-truck convoy—were attacked. We have made strong
representations and continue to do so. I know that my noble
friend the Foreign Secretary has been very seized of this in his
recent engagements.
On the issue of UNRWA funding, as we have repeatedly made clear
and I have said several times, we of course recognise the
important role that UNRWA has played and continues to play in
Gaza and indeed in neighbouring countries. The Colonna report was
on the issues of mitigation and made particular recommendations.
We know that UNRWA has also responded to that. As my noble friend
the Foreign Secretary has said, there is one additional report
that is specific to the attacks of 7 October, which is the
oversight report, which we are awaiting and will then make a full
assessment. I underline again our strong support for the
important role that UNRWA has.
(Con)
My Lords, I refer the House to my registered interests. I am sure
that my noble friend will join me in wishing the people
of Israel well on Israel's
76th birthday yesterday, including the 132 hostages being held in
captivity. On 19 November 2018, I said from this position
that
“UNRWA, which was born in 1949, is now outdated, does not provide
value for money”,
and that it
“refuses to help resettle the Palestinians and even refuses to
take … some 2 million Palestinians living in Jordan”
off its refugee list. It therefore
“continues to perpetuate the problem”.
I appealed for a
“new and modern programme of aid and development for the benefit
of the Palestinian people and all the peoples of the
region[”.—[Official Report, 19/11/18; col. 2.]
I therefore ask my noble friend the Minister: post 7 October, can
the UK take a lead to urgently create that new, modern
programme?
(Con)
My Lords, I am sure that I speak for everyone when I say that we
of course join in recognising the importance of anniversaries.
Indeed, the establishment of Israel was
supported by the United Kingdom and is supported by all Members
of your Lordships' House. Equally, I am sure that my noble friend
will recognise that it was a very sombre occasion
in Israel I have met with
many hostage families and a recent comment that I heard was that
there are 25 nationalities, and there are Jews, Christians,
Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists who are held by Hamas in Gaza. That
is why there is the human appeal to let the hostages go.
On the issue of UNRWA, I have a different perspective from that
of my noble friend. UNRWA plays an important role; what is
required is reform in terms of how it governs and the list that
it provides to ensure that recruitment is done properly. As my
noble friend reads the Colonna report, I am sure he will also
recognise some really positive recommendations made by the former
Foreign Minister of France. We are looking at those, but also
require the detail of the report that the Secretary-General will
get shortly.
(CB)
My Lords, does the Minister recognise that, utterly reprehensible
as it is that even 12 out of UNRWAs 30,000 employees around the
region should have been involved with Hamas, it is still really
urgent to recognise that no proper humanitarian effort in that
part of the world can be mounted, particularly in Gaza but also
in the West Bank, without UNRWA being part of it? So, will he
undertake that the review that he says is under way—we are now in
the second month of the new financial year—will lead to a
determination by His Majesty's Government without delay?
(Con)
My Lords, I have already articulated the United Kingdom's view on
the important role that UNRWA plays. I have also said that we are
looking to ensure not only that there are mitigations in place
but that there is a full review of those abhorrent events of 7
October. The Government will be looking at both those reports and
then making a decision accordingly, but I add again that we of
course recognise the continuing and important role UNRWA
plays.
(LD)
My Lords, UNRWA has lost 89 of its humanitarian workers in this
terrible conflict and, as the noble Lord says, is the only body
that is able properly to administer support for more than 1
million children displaced within Gaza. That is equivalent to the
entire under-10 population of Greater London. The impeding of
that aid is a clear breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention. I
know that His Majesty's Government officials are collating
evidence of when that supply is being impeded. Does the Minister
agree that the Government should be as clear with us in
Parliament as the US State Department is to Congress in providing
all that information in a public manner? Will the Government do
that?
(Con)
My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord about the importance of
ensuring that aid reaches Gaza, particularly those who are most
vulnerable, the women and children. That is where the Government
have been focused since the tragedy of 7 October, but even in
advance of that. We all know the challenges Gaza faces; that is
why we have advocated so strongly for the reopening of the Rafah
crossing. I know it has been closed since Israel's Rafah
operation, including to important fuel supplies into Rafah, which
need to be secured to ensure the facilitation of hospitals.
On the advice that the Government receive, of course there is a
precedent, and we look at advice on a revolving basis. The
Foreign Secretary receives advice from various sources, including
assessments of adherence to IHL, and will then give his view
accordingly.
(Con)
My Lords—
(Non-Afl)
My Lords—
(Con)
My Lords, we will hear from the non-affiliated Bench, followed by
the noble Baroness, Lady Helic.
(Non-Afl)
I thank the Government Chief Whip. In February, the Hamas data
centre was discovered underneath UNRWA's headquarters and, just
yesterday, UNRWA terrorists were discovered using an UNRWA school
as a base from which to launch their attacks, so it is absolutely
clear that UNRWA still has very serious questions to answer. In
the meantime, there are other agencies with whom we should be
working to get much-needed humanitarian aid in for the poor
people of Gaza, who have been so terribly affected by the war
Hamas deliberately launched on 7 October, when it raped,
kidnapped and murdered so many civilians.
(Con)
I assure the noble Lord that we are doing exactly that.
Notwithstanding that, the funding that we have given has also
been focused on other agencies like the World Food Programme,
UNICEF and others. I come back to this point: I am sure the noble
Lord recognises that mitigations are necessary, and we are
pressing on those, but, equally, UNRWA has the most effective
structures in Gaza. We need to ensure that those are not just
revitalised, but that they are done so to allow for mitigation of
the issues that were previously raised.
(Con)
My Lords, the healthcare system in Gaza has collapsed, and the
last functioning hospital in Gaza, the European Hospital, has had
staff leaving in droves as the IDF start active combat in Rafah.
No aid is going through to Gaza and the field hospital which we
are supporting is able to provide only urgent care. Children are
unnecessarily losing their limbs. I ask my noble friend: will the
Government take another look and see whether there could be, and
whether we should have, a pathway open for children with serious
wounds, so they can be given specialist care which can only be
afforded to them in the specialist hospitals which we are lucky
to have in this country?
(Con)
My Lords, I first pay tribute to my noble friend. Also, I am sure
I speak for everyone in your Lordships' House, irrespective of
perspective on this conflict, in paying great tribute to those
within agencies, particularly the voluntary agencies, who have
allowed for UK medevac and those serving in the UK field hospital
and others, for the courage, commitment and principle they show
in bringing support to the most vulnerable.
On the issue of medevac, my noble friend will know that we have
worked with other countries, including the UAE and Egypt, in
facilitating that for those who are in most acute need of it. I
also recognise the important proposal she has put forward. We
want to ensure that those in urgent need, particularly children
and the most vulnerable, are provided with that support. The best
way that we can achieve this, as I say time and time again, is to
stop the fighting, get the aid in, ensure the facilitation of all
the medical services and get the hostages out. Human suffering
does not look at religion, race, colour or any other creed; it
looks at humans, and we must put humanity at the core of
everything we do.
