Document

The United Nations (UN) estimates that 2.
7 million people across the Occupied Palestinian

Territories (OPTs) need humanitarian assistance, including everyone in Gaza. The World
Food Program has said 9 out of 10 people in northern Gaza are living on less than a meal a
day.
The UK has trebled our aid commitment to the Palestinian people in the 2023 to 2024
financial year, providing an additional £70 million of funding for humanitarian support. This
funding supports partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food
Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) to respond to critical food,
fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.
This is in addition to the existing UK commitment to the Occupied Palestinian Territories

(OPTs) of £27 million bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) for financial year
2023 to 2024
The UK and Qatar are working together to get more aid into Gaza. Our first joint
consignment, containing 17 tonnes of family sized tents, was flown on 25 January 2024.
The tents will provide critical shelter for people and are desperately needed, as more
families are displaced by the conflict.
The UK and Jordan delivered 4 tonnes of aid by air to Tal Al-Hawa Hospital in northern Gaza
on 21 February 2024. This included medicines, fuel, and food for hospital patients and
staff. On 26 March, as part of the Jordanian-led international mission, the UK Royal Air
Force airdropped over 10 tonnes of food along the northern Gaza coastline. This included
water, rice, cooking oil, flour, tinned goods and baby formula for civilians.
Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to
significantly increase the flow of aid into and through Gaza, particularly to the north. This
includes allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more land crossings into Gaza,
and fully restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity supplies.
: We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out of Gaza, then
progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction,
fighting and loss of life.
The UK played a leading role in securing the passage of Security Council resolution 2720,
which set out the urgent demand for expanded humanitarian access.
the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says that since 7
October, more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been reported killed and
5,432 injured. At least 32,623 Palestinians have been reported killed and about 75,092
injured across Gaza and Israel (as of 29 March 2024).
On 9 November, the United States said Israel would begin four to five hour pauses in its
military operations in Gaza. The Israeli Defence Forces has said these are “tactical, local
pauses” for the delivery of aid and not a ceasefire.
From 24 November to 1 December, a pause took place to enable the release of hostages.
Before the pause began, Israel said it would last no longer than 10 days and fighting would
then resume. The pause enabled the release of 110 hostages from Gaza and 240
Palestinian prisoners from Israel.
rafah crossing btw egypt and syria
Israel has criticised the resolutions for not condemning Hamas and said it will “continue to
act until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are returned”. It argued the March resolution
“gives Hamas hope” international pressure will enable a ceasefire without the release of
hostages. At the UN, the Palestinian Authority representative said it wanted to see an
“immediate ceasefire, humanitarian assistance at scale, and no forced displacement [from
Gaza]”.
UK visa holders in Gaza who hold valid permission to enter or remain in the UK for longer
than six months and have a spouse/partner to a child aged 17 or under living in the UK can
contact the UK for assistance to leave Gaza
The UK says the Rafah crossing is “open for controlled and time-limited periods”. The
Egyptian authorities will contact the UK embassy when British nationals can cross. The UK
embassy will then notify individuals.
The UK has deployed military assets to promote de-escalation and conduct surveillance
activities. It has not provided “lethal or military equipment other than medical supplies to
Israel” since 7 October.
The UK Is participating in Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect Red Sea shipping from
Houthi attacks and is conducting air strikes with the United States. The Library research
briefing, UK and international response to Houthis in the Red Sea, provides more
information.
UK Government ministers have met with leaders and others in the region to discuss de-
escalation and humanitarian pauses. The Foreign Secretary is seeking to establish a
“contact group” to advance talks on a two-state solution. He has also said Iran must be
“held accountable” for the actions of proxy groups in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.
In 2023/24, the Government says it has provided over £100 million in aid. None is directed
via Hamas. The Commons Library research briefing, UK aid to the West Bank and Gaza
Strip, has more information.
The Government says it expects all parties to the conflict to comply and minimise civilian
casualties. It raises the protection of civilians “on every occasion” when meeting Israeli
officials.
The Government supports “a Palestinian state […] alongside a safe and secure Israel”. It
will recognise a Palestinian state when judged to “best serve the objective of peace”. Post-
conflict priorities include establishing a “credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-
state solution” and reforms to the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli settler violence: The UK has condemned the violence in the West Bank. In February,
it announced visa restrictions against “extremist Israeli settlers”. Israel’s Prime Minister has
also condemned the violence.
The Government supports a “sustainable ceasefire” as a pathway to a “sustainable

peace”. Such a ceasefire includes the release of hostages, aid delivery, and for Hamas to
no longer pose a threat to Israel. It argues a ceasefire otherwise is “implausible” as it
requires both sides to agree.

Document

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Document

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Document

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The United Nations (UN) estimates that 2.

7 million people across the Occupied Palestinian

This is in addition to the existing UK commitment to the Occupied Palestinian Territories

rafah crossing btw egypt and syria

The Government supports a “sustainable ceasefire” as a pathway to a “sustainable

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.