Due to the nature of this issue and the significant number of constituents who have written to me, please find my latest statement on the situation in Gaza below.
I do not support calls for an immediate ceasefire and would have voted against calls for one. I support humanitarian pauses to allow aid to enter Gaza and reach innocent Palestinians. However, I am also clear that Hamas must be eradicated.
A ceasefire would allow Hamas to regroup, rearm and prepare for further attacks. While I understand the reasons behind calls for a ceasefire, it would only play into the hands of Hamas, whose leadership has shown no remorse for their savage and brutal attack on the 7th of October. Their leaders have said they would repeat the attack if given the opportunity. No such opportunity should be given. The attack on the 7th of October was already the biggest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust - I dread to think what another attack would do.
The attacks on Israeli civilians on the 7th of October were terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas, who are embedded in Gaza and are effectively using the Palestinians who live there as human shields.
As Gaza is densely populated with many civilians, striking military targets requires careful pre-planning and due diligence. Israel must make every effort to avoid hitting civilians, and under the Laws of Armed Conflict and International Humanitarian Law, Israel is obliged to discriminate between military and civilian targets. The purposeful targeting of civilians constitutes a crime. However, Hamas’ systematic use of civilian areas and buildings for military purposes, such as ammunition depots or command posts, complicates this. The Israeli Defence Forces must judge the military value of a target against the risk of collateral damage and avoid civilian casualties wherever possible.
The UK unequivocally supports Israel’s right to defend itself, as guaranteed by Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The UK is working via all diplomatic channels to bring this conflict to a halt. The UK has also been clear that it recognises the need for humanitarian pauses to deliver aid safely, a point agreed with G7 partners in Tokyo on the 8th of November. Since the 7th of October, the UK has made £30 million of additional aid available to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The events unfolding in Israel and Gaza are truly horrific and my thoughts are with all those affected.
