UK Government raises alarm about the effect on aid and to aid workers
The UK Government has said ongoing blocks on aid entering Gaza are “appalling and unacceptable”, in a letter to a cross-party committee of MPs.
In the letter, sent to the International Development Committee and published today, Minister for Development Baroness Chapman raises alarm about blocks to supplies of basic goods and electricity in Gaza.
She says the government has continued to push for Israel to resume aid, through calling for a UN Security Council meeting, publishing a joint statement with France and Germany on 21 March, and that Foreign Secretary David Lammy continues to lobby his Israeli counterparts to restore humanitarian access.
She also acknowledges the committee’s concern over delays to the government’s acceptance of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on Israel’s actions, from July 2024. The committee had laid out its concerns in a previous letter to the minister.
“I am sorry that this process has taken some time, due to the complexity of the issues involved,” she writes, “but I would like to reassure you that we are giving the opinion the serious consideration it deserves.”
She adds that Israel’s blocking of aid is “completely unacceptable” and that its actions are “at clear risk” of breaching its obligations under international humanitarian law. “Humanitarian aid should never be used as a political tool,” she says.
She also says the government’s commitment to a two-state solution is “unwavering” and that the government continues to urge all parties to return to negotiations.
Sarah Champion MP, chair of the International Development Committee, said: “The killing of 15 aid workers last month is a brutal reminder of how international norms are increasingly being discarded in Gaza.
“I am encouraged that the government finds this situation unacceptable, and is continuously pushing for further actions. But why, after nine months in office, is it still ‘considering’ the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion?
“More avenues for pressure remain available; the government must take a firmer stand. We will be considering exactly how it can do that as we continue our inquiry into adherence to international humanitarian law.”
