Many, many constituents have written to me since October 7th 2023, understandably truly horrified by the devastating images and awful stories they are seeing and hearing from Gaza; I share the very deep concerns expressed about the relentless, daily suffering of ordinary Palestinians, especially the children and young people , caught up in this terrible conflict and bloodshed being played out in a densely populated, urban landscape; I share the hopes too that Israeli captives, and the bodies of the dead, will soon be released from their unimaginable ordeals in the war tunnels under Gaza and returned to their families.
This ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has ignited further strong passions and created deeply entrenched positions – more so than the terrible wars in Sudan where, for a second time in two decades, a genocide has been unequivocally declared and millions are in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, more so than Ukraine, now in its third year of the first major European war since 1945, more so than the recent, devastating civil war in Syria in which over 656,493 people were killed.
The intolerable humanitarian situation in Gaza is, unquestionably, appalling and we continue to see inhuman suffering. It is clear now that, for many reasons, the US-Israeli backed GDF aid system, set up in an attempt to prevent supplies from being stolen, stockpiled and sold to fund Hamas, has not worked as it absolutely and urgently needed to – it is chaotic and dangerous for all involved and the terrorist group Hamas is further exploiting this disorder. I therefore welcome the vital news Israel is opening key humanitarian corridors for UN aid operations to recommence - UNWRA alone says it has 10,000 local Palestinians in Gaza working for them, willing to assist them in the distribution of crucial aid and reach those who so desperately need it. I believe mitigations against aid diversion have been considered and trust they will be effective.
I continue, on behalf of constituents, to support efforts led by the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure a stable and crucial ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza. It is deeply disappointing the latest proposals have, once again, been rejected by Hamas. My colleagues on the Shadow Frontbench have continually urged Ministers to work closely with the United States and use our influence to push for progress on peace efforts and getting aid into Gaza. A sustainable end to this conflict is urgently and desperately needed, along with the release of the remaining hostages from Hamas’ cruel captivity, a massive increase in aid getting into Gaza, and a new future for the Gazan people, free from the terror and misery caused by Hamas.
While I continue to support a credible and irreversible pathway towards a sustainable and lasting two-state solution where a safe and secure Israel can live alongside a viable and sovereign Palestine, with peace and prosperity for both nations and the wider region, I believe the UK should recognise a Palestinian state only at a time when it strongly serves the objective of peace although I recognise not everyone is in this place. I do wholeheartedly believe the Palestinian people deserve the dignity and stability that statehood can bring, however, we should also acknowledge Palestine is currently a long way from meeting the traditional statehood criteria required. We must avoid any declarations made too prematurely which would serve to vindicate the use of violence and terrorism as legitimate methods to achieve political goals. I will continue to encourage this Labour Government to act in accordance with this principle and our party will always back every chance at peace. The international community must roundly be very clear there can be no role for Hamas in Gaza’s new future and action needs to be taken to put an end to the malign influence of Iran, which is the cause of so much of the bloodshed and conflict in the region.
As His Majesty's official Opposition, we have been pressing ministers to develop a clear plan to bring about these vital changes but both parties, Israel and Hamas, need to commit to a peaceful resolution. While there is, rightly, huge pressure from international organisations and public opinion on Israel to end this war, I’d like to see this clear pressure also being brought to bear on Hamas - to release the hostages, lay down its weapons, end the violence and recognise Israel’s right to exist. There are two sides to this conflict; it is estimated the Hamas military wing had 30,000 to 40,000 trained fighters at the outset of this war with around 20,000 Hamas combatants having been killed to date.
Every innocent life which has been lost or impacted by this conflict is to be mourned. However, we must be keenly aware Hamas is extremely adept at using the power of war propaganda and human suffering to push to accomplish its goals and does not hesitate to use international media attention as well as social media to influence public opinion and promote division. This is terrible for all to witness.
I welcome the Prime Minister has said the government is ‘actively working on an international peace plan’ - it will be no small feat to move this urgent process forward when the situation is so polarised and our influence and ability to work constructively in the region has been badly undermined by this Labour Government. Please be assured I will support any measures on your behalf that achieve a better future for both the Israeli and Palestinian people, and I do believe the UK can, and must, play a leading role in achieving that.
I was encouraged by the recent news the Arab League which includes Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia have – for the first time ever -signed a UN statement condemning the 7th of October attacks on Israeli citizens and urging the Islamist group Hamas to free the hostages, lay down their arms and give up power in Gaza. The declaration read,
“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State…
Only by ending the war in Gaza, releasing all hostages, ending occupation, rejecting violence and terror, realising an independent, sovereign, and democratic Palestinian State, ending the occupation of all Arab territories and providing solid security guarantees for Israel and Palestine, can normal relations and coexistence among the region’s peoples and States be achieved…’
Khalifa Al Marar, UAE Minister of State added, such a state must exist “living in peace and security side by side with the state of Israel” and requires the full commitment of all concerned parties.
Late on the afternoon of the 29th of July, Prime Minister Starmer announced,
‘So today as part of this process towards peace, I can confirm the UK will recognise the State of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.
“And this includes allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank. Meanwhile our message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged and unequivocal. They must immediately release all of the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza.
“And we’ll make an assessment in September of how far the parties have met these steps but no-one should have a veto over our decision.
Reading it, I am extremely concerned, like many, that while both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary called on Hamas to release the remaining hostages and have no role in the future governance of Gaza, neither made acceding to these requests a clear condition for recognition, unlike those demands placed upon Israel. Starmer’s plan is, I fear, driven by domestic pressures and internal divisions in the Labour party, risks rewarding terror, further erodes UK-Israel trust, cooperation and intelligence sharing - potentially affecting the UK’s ability to keep its own people safe as we face many common threats - and bypasses Oslo’s dialogue-based framework. A sustainable peace requires mutual concessions through direct talks, not external and unilateral ultimatums.
Many people, including Emily Damari, the British citizen kidnapped and held underground in a cage by Hamas, have criticised the announcement by Starmer, saying it will only serve to disincentivise the Islamist terror group from agreeing to a ceasefire and release the remaining hostages. A further intervention has been an open letter from eminent British lawyers warning the Labour Government pledge to recognise a Palestinian state risks breaking international law, as reported in the Times.
This continues to be a fast growing, moving and deeply concerning situation and I will continue to monitor developments and listen to all my constituents asks and concerns on this matter. We all look to carefully considered, unequivocal action and outcomes to stop the human suffering, loss and pain on all sides so peace and harmony can be achieved with long lasting commitment to a safe and secure future in the region.
