Thank you to everyone who has contacted me about the ongoing situation in Gaza.
I absolutely appreciate that this continues to be an issue of critical importance to many people in Lewisham North. Like you, I have followed the plight of the Palestinian people for many years and witnessed the daily difficulties they face first-hand on a self-funded trip before I was elected. Since then, of course, things have intensified hugely into the horrific situation we see today.
It has now been five months since the ceasefire collapsed, and the humanitarian devastation in the region continues to escalate. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have displaced Palestinians from 86 per cent of Gaza, leaving around two million people trapped in an area scarcely over twenty square miles. Since May, almost 1,000 civilians have been killed while seeking aid, including 100 over one weekend alone.
On 21 July, the UK and 28 international partners gave a joint statement condemning Israel’s dangerous aid delivery system. It called for the immediate lifting of restrictions on humanitarian access, so that the UN and NGOs can operate safely and effectively. The statement also demanded urgency to pursue an immediate, unconditional ceasefire, rejecting any proposals for forced displacement of Palestinians.
On the same day, the Foreign Secretary announced a significant increase in UK support to Gaza: £7 million to strengthen Palestinian Authority and governance implementing the agreement signed by himself and Prime Minister Mustafa earlier this year; £20 million to The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and an additional £40 million for humanitarian aid in Gaza, including £7.5 million for UK-Med to sustain critical operations and save more lives.
These actions build on previous measures introduced this year such as:
- Suspending negotiations on a new UK–Israel trade deal.
- Suspending 30 Israeli arms licenses.
- Imposing sanctions on three individuals and four entities involved in the settler movement.
- Applying joint sanctions with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
- Committing nearly £250 million in humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
The Foreign Minister reiterates: if Israel continues to pursue its military offensive and continues to deny aid to Palestinians, the UK will escalate its response.
I – like my constituents – want freedom for Palestine, the release of hostages by Hamas, and a two-state solution that ensures peace in the region. I encourage the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this conflict to an end.