Mr Speaker, this weekend we saw worrying and dangerous escalation. Lebanese Hezbollah continuing to fire into northern Israel, Israeli strikes against southern areas of Beirut, and the direct exchange of missiles between Iran and Israel – presenting one of the most dangerous moments since the fragile ceasefire was agreed.
Over the past 48 hours we have made clear the need for urgent de-escalation, because a resumption of conflict is in no one’s interest, and I spoke to the Iranian Foreign Minister on Sunday evening to convey this directly.
Both Israel and Iran have indicated that they have ended their strikes, and that is welcome, but there was reporting just before I entered the Chamber of strikes again this morning.
It is vital that we have a diplomatic way forward, both to end the conflict in Lebanon, to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, to restore regional stability, and prevent Iran ever developing or obtaining a nuclear weapon.
As we have previously made clear in this House, Israel’s recent escalation in Lebanon was reckless and disproportionate, and deepened the humanitarian crisis that has already seen more than a million Lebanese people driven from their homes and thousands killed.
We strongly condemn Hizbollah’s attacks against Israel, including its northern communities, because at Iran’s instigation, Hezbollah – a proscribed organisation – is dragging Lebanon into a war that is against the interests of its people and its government. It must end this dangerous attack and disarm, and the US-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon must be properly observed by all parties.
We want to see a swift and successful conclusion to the ongoing talks between the US and Iran. We need an agreement that gets the Strait fully open with no tolls or charges, and last week I discussed this with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in China and Foreign Minister Jaishankar in India.
Every country has a stake in freedom of navigation, and the UK will continue to speak up for this across the world.
In partnership with France and other countries, we stand ready to play our part, once agreement is reached, to support demining and provide reassurance to shipping through a multilateral maritime mission. With cost-of-living pressures at home, we need a lasting settlement, which delivers peace and stability in the region and the full restoration of global trade.
Let me turn now to Palestine. Nine months ago, at the UN General Assembly, I confirmed the UK’s historic decision to recognise the State of Palestine, and we did so alongside partners in recognition of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people, and to defend the viability of a two-state solution.
We did so as part of a wave of international diplomatic energy in support of peace in the Middle East, and it was a crucial moment of hope that we could end the violence and suffering and begin to build a better future of lasting peace and security for Palestine, Israel, and the wider region.
But today the situation is bleak, and the viability of the two-state solution remains in grave peril.
We turn first to Gaza. The ceasefire remains formally in place, but it is being regularly violated. Since October, over 900 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed. 1.9 million Palestinians remain displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid – and aid is down this year, not up, with 90% of water and sanitation infrastructure destroyed and not rebuilt. Families without shelter, a public health crisis with rodent infestations and communicable disease, and currently at barely half the level of the 4200 trucks a week promised in the 20 Point plan.
Israel’s registration law continues to severely restrict international NGO operations, while key crossings remain closed, and it is a total moral outrage that children are still going hungry while food they need rots on shelves because aid agencies cannot get in.
Meanwhile, Hamas decommissioning has not yet started, and they retain a tight hold on areas of Gaza, and instead of the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops, Gazans are restricted to just 40% of the territory unable to access their land beyond the yellow line. Mr Speaker, we urgently need new international energy, new pressure and new action to resuscitate the 20 Point Plan.
For the UK, that means pressure in three priority areas.
First, increased aid is urgent and must be unconditional. Despite all the challenges, UK aid is making a difference on the ground. Last year, we provided over £80 million of humanitarian and early recovery funding – with funding protected again this year, enabling 650,000 people to receive food and improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene for 300,000 people.
UK support for mine clearance has enabled 45 acres of land to be made safe for community use and helped clear 24 key sites, including medical facilities. Today, I can announce a further million pounds to support these mine clearance efforts.
But some UK aid is still stuck in warehouses, including in Jordan and Egypt, and humanitarian support is a fundamental right – it cannot be bartered against other aspects of the peace plan. So, the Netanyahu government must recognise its urgent humanitarian responsibility to open crossings and to end the arbitrary restrictions, so the UN, UNRWA, and international NGOs can fulfil their life-saving mandates.
Second, we continue to press for the decommissioning of Hamas weapons to get under way. Hamas must destroy its terrorist infrastructure and weapons production sites as a first step towards full demilitarization, and we have offered UK technical expertise to support this. Meanwhile, Israel must deliver on its commitments to withdraw.
Third, we need the practical support and access that was promised for the transitional Palestinian National Committee. There are still too many obstacles in its path, and it is still not operating within Gaza itself. That makes it easier for Hamas to retain its hold.
We have offered practical support to the committee as they endeavour to fulfil their mandate, and we will lead international calls to support them in co-ordination with the Palestinian Authority. Because Palestine should be run by Palestinians.
Which brings me to the West Bank. Following the ceasefire agreement, I warned that sustained peace would not be possible without a comparable effort to protect the viability of Palestinian statehood and rights in the West Bank. Instead, we have seen the opposite.
Last week, a seven-month-old baby was killed in his mother’s arms, his name was Sam Abu Haikal, after the IDF opened fire on a family car in South Hebron, and the UK supports the calls for an immediate and transparent investigation and robust accountability.
Over the weekend, a gunman in Israel opened fire, with one killed and five injured, an attack that shockingly was applauded by Hamas.
We have also seen rising and incredibly disturbing settler violence, Palestinian families and communities driven from their homes, brutally beaten while farming their own land. 950 violent incidents this year already. In April, settlers shot dead two Palestinians while attacking a school, and one was a boy of 14.
Mr Speaker, the UK condemns the shocking violence which terrorizes Palestinians. Many Israelis are horrified at what they are seeing from settler extremists. The Netanyahu government has condemned some settler violence, but that rings hollow when there is scant accountability, and when the agenda of the hardline settlers has now become intertwined with the approach of this Israeli cabinet.
So, let me set out today new action this government will take.
First, I am announcing a new wave of sanctions targeting the networks that are supporting this violence. Organisations including the Farms Association that fundraises for illegal outposts, strongholds for settler aggression. Ahavat Gilad that serves as the Farms Association’s financial conduit, and Artzenu, that has fundraised for military equipment for armed settler squads.
This is the fourth package of sanctions under this Labour government against extremist Israeli settlers. We have targeted some of the most notorious individuals, the most significant settler entities, and the extremist figures in the Israeli Cabinet who are inciting these acts. Today’s measures mean the UK is second to none among international partners in targeting those facilitating and inciting settler violence.
We are also going further – on the 22nd of May, the Prime Minister led a group of other world leaders, warning businesses not to bid for construction tenders for E1 or other settlement developments.
But this is not just about construction contracts. So today, alongside the Department for Business and Trade, I have strengthened our Business Risk Guidance to make it clear and unambiguous if you are a British citizen or business, you should not conduct any economic and financial activities in illegal Israeli settlements.
And today, alongside my Right Hon. friend the Culture Secretary, I have written to the Charity Commission for England and Wales requesting that they open an investigation into evidence of UK charities that have links to illegal settlements. The Minister for the Middle East will meet with the Commission CEO tomorrow, because no UK charity should be supporting or enabling these breaches of international law.
The principles we are acting on, I believe, are widely supported across this House. We believe that settlements are a fundamental barrier to peace and a flagrant breach of international law. We believe that violent settler groups should not be profiting from the land that they have seized from Palestinians, and we also believe we must continue to distinguish and protect trade with people and businesses across the state of Israel – trade that reflects long-standing and important ties between our countries and communities.
We will look to continue to co-ordinate our approach with close allies and look at further concrete steps to counter settlement expansion and promote peace and security.
Finally, let me address our support for Palestinian governance. We are keeping up the pressure on the PA, the Palestinian Authority, to deliver its vital reform commitments on education, welfare payments, and elections.
We are expanding the direct practical help to the PA to reform and to deliver effective government for its people, drawing on the deep expertise of the UK Envoy for PA governance, Lord Michael Barber.
But the PA faces an enormous fiscal and healthcare crisis because the Israeli Government has a stranglehold on the Palestinian economy, including withholding $5 billion of Palestinian tax revenue. That means schools and health facilities struggle to stay open for more than one or two days a week.
An effective PA is directly in Israel’s interest. It is both utterly wrong and incredibly short-sighted for the Netanyahu government to seek to undermine it at every turn.
So, the UK has stepped up our efforts in support, alongside the support for reforms. This year, we provided PA funding that helped 5,300 health workers sustain front-line services, and today I can announce we will provide at least £10 million further to support the PA over 2026 to pay salaries bolstering the PA’s ability to function, helping dedicated health professionals to do their essential work across hospitals, clinics and maternity services.
And our focus will be to build more effective, more democratic, and more accountable governance, and to reinforce the unity of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem as inseparable pillars of the state of Palestine.
International pressure and partnership on the ground have been vital over the last 12 months, and so later this week I will travel to Paris, along with other foreign ministers, in advance of the Peace Building Conference, which is bringing together Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups, alongside international partners dedicated to advancing the two-state solution.
Because the momentum of last year must be reinvigorated for the sake of peace and security for all, I commend this statement to the House.