Tag: Gaza

Middle East Minister embarks on Gulf tour ‘to build momentum towards lasting peace and security’

LORD AHMED RETURNS TO MIDDLE EAST

  • Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon returns to the region to meet with key partners to seek long-term solutions to the situation in Israel and Gaza
  • Minister to discuss joint efforts to counter illegal Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea
  • He will also celebrate strengthened bilateral ties with Gulf allies, following announcement Gulf Nationals are now eligible to apply for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme

The UK Minister for the Middle East will embark on a tour of the Middle East as the UK seeks to build momentum towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and lasting stability and security in the region.

Lord Ahmad will arrive in Oman today (Monday) for the first leg of the visit before travelling to Kuwait and then concluding the visit in Saudi Arabia.

The Minister is expected to meet with key figures, including Saudi Arabia’s Vice Foreign Minister, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League as well as Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Ambassador Abdullah Al-Yahya and Oman’s Undersecretary for Political Affairs Sheikh Khalifa Al Harthy.

The Minister will discuss how to ease the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through an immediate humanitarian pause in fighting leading to a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.

He will also outline the UK’s efforts to counter Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and make clear that illegal attacks by the Houthis are completely unacceptable.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for Middle East, said: “We want to see an end to the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible, and it is clear that wider escalation and instability in the region is in nobody’s interests.

“Our engagement with partners in the Middle East, including Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, is absolutely central to efforts towards achieving a sustainable, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and building wider regional security.”

The 16th session of the UK-Oman Joint Working Group will be co-chaired by Lord Ahmad alongside Oman’s Undersecretary for Political Affairs Sheikh Khalifa Al Harthy.

Meanwhile, in Kuwait, Lord Ahmad will co-chair the twentieth UK-Kuwait Joint Steering Group alongside His Excellency Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Lord Ahmad is also due to meet with the Palestinian Ambassador.

In Saudi Arabia, Lord Ahmad will meet with the Vice Foreign Minister and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. 

This visit is the latest in a series of visits to the region by the Minister, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the last fortnight.

The Foreign Secretary has recently visited the region multiple times, including Oman and Saudi Arabia to build on the UK’s call for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.

The Minister will also welcome the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme which has opened for Gulf Cooperation Council and Jordanian nationals, making travel to the UK smoother and cheaper.

The scheme will allow unlimited visits to the UK over two years.

CAN Ahmed’s latest visit succeed where all other attempts by world leaders have failed? Er … let’s say it’s unlikely. And the body count will continue to rise.

The House of Commons adjourned for February recess on Thursday 8 February and will next sit on Monday 19 February at 2.30pm. 

TUC: UK government must change course to support peace in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East

On 7 February, the TUC wrote to Lord Cameron, Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on the escalating violence in Gaza, Israel and the Middle East.

We have long-standing policy in support of Palestinian rights and ending the occupation of Palestinian territory:

This letter follows on from the TUC’s General Council statement unequivocally condemning the shocking attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas, calling for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages unharmed, and calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

In our letter to Lord Cameron, we’ve expressed disappointment that the UK government has so far failed to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, or support resolutions calling for one at the United Nations. We recognise that a ceasefire must be accompanied by a political process.

Our government has also failed to publicly condemn the siege of Gaza and called for it to end, even though it is causing immense human suffering and international humanitarian law prohibits the use of starvation, including attacking objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and denying or impeding access to humanitarian aid, as a method of warfare.

UNRWA is carrying out lifesaving humanitarian work in Gaza, providing shelter, food and water. We’ve called on the UK government to resume its funding to UNRWA while an investigation into allegations by the Israeli government that several UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attacks – is carried out. Ten countries have suspended funding to UNRWA, but the organisation’s head has said that if the funding remains suspended, it will most likely have to shut down its operations in Gaza and across the region by the end of February.

We’ve also raised our concerns that reportedly more than 27,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children, have been killed in operations launched by Israeli forces since 7 October, and that more than 66,000 have been injured. Workers are at the forefront of this violence – with at least 330 health workers, 120 journalists and 150 UN staff killed since 7 October.

We’re supporting calls by the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) for the immediate release of at least 260 Palestinian workers who remain in Israeli detention.

The TUC has called on the UK government and international community to act to ensure that international law is upheld and applied consistently. We’re alarmed that at least 1.7 million civilians, 75 per cent of Gaza’s population, have been forcibly displaced according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and reportedly, that a member of Israel’s security cabinet described Gaza Strip residents evacuating south on IDF orders as, “…rolling out a Gaza Nakba”.

We’re also deeply concerned that Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected the creation of a State of Palestine, and therefore of a two-state solution as a possible path to peace. The TUC has welcomed Lord Cameron’s recent statement that the UK government would consider the swift recognition of a Palestinian State and we’ve urged the government to make this a priority.

In calling for international law to be upheld, we’ve welcomed the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue binding provisional measures in the case of the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).

Our letter stresses our concern that since 7 October, at least 360 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in attacks involving Israeli forces and/or settlers in the West Bank including East Jerusalem. OCHA has recorded nearly 500 settler attacks, and over 1,200 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank amid such settler violence and access restrictions.

We’re worried about the escalation of this violence to the wider Middle East and the impacts this could have, including on workers in the region. The current escalation of violence to the Red Sea, Straits of Hormuz and the eastern Mediterranean is impacting on seafarers’ safety. All parties must respect the safety and welfare of seafarers, including the need for shipping employers to respect the right of seafarers to choose not to work in and around what is now a designated war zone.

We are urging the UK government to do more to bring about an end to this escalating violence and support a just peace by:

  • calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and enable prompt and effective access to humanitarian aid
  • taking action alongside the international community to ensure that international law is upheld and applied consistently – this includes ending the occupation of Palestinian territory
  • insisting that Israel complies, in full, with the binding provisional measures issued by the ICJ
  • taking action to ensure that it is not complicit in any war crimes or crimes against humanity that could be found to be committed
  • restoring funding to UNRWA and support the ILO’s Emergency Response Programme
  • ending arms sales and military collaboration with Israel, and ending the UK’s trade in settlement goods
  • withdrawing the Economic Activities of Public Bodies Bill
  • recognising the State of Palestine and support genuine efforts towards a just, lasting and comprehensive peace that is consistent with international law, and is based on a two-state solution, which promotes equality, democracy and respect for human and labour rights.

Gaza: what you can do to help

How you can donate responsibly to help the people of Gaza

Make your donation safely

Donating through established and well-coordinated emergency response appeal mechanisms is the most effective way to support people during a humanitarian crisis. You can do this through the British Red Cross.

If you wish to help Gazans at this time, the UK government recommends that you donate to this organisation, or through other trusted aid organisations.

If you wish to donate to other charities, you should make a few checks before giving:

  • search the charity register to check the charity’s name and registration number. Most charities with an income of £5,000 or more must be registered, which means they are regulated by The Charity Commission
  • make sure the charity is genuine before giving them any financial information
  • if in doubt, ask the charity or organisation for more information

Donating essential supplies

One of the best ways to help is by donating cash through trusted charities and aid organisations, rather than donating goods.

We cannot provide advice to you or your organisation on shipments (for example, transport, logistics, tax, customs).

Donating as a UK company

If your UK company wishes to donate, we recommend that you should also donate through established emergency response appeal mechanisms or other trusted aid organisations.

If your private sector organisation wish to explore donating goods in-kind, we encourage you to:

Operational guidance for organisations providing aid

We have published guidance for organisations operating in high-risk jurisdictions. This aims to support them to provide vital and legitimate humanitarian aid, while complying with counter-terrorism legislation and/or sanctions.

Foreign Secretary: Israel must act now to let aid through and save lives in Gaza. Britain has a plan to help that happen

With crossings opened for longer, water supplies restored and UN staff able to safely distribute food, we can limit the scale of this catastrophe, says DAVID CAMERON.

It was heartbreaking to read the latest independent assessment of hunger in Gaza. The situation is desperate – and projected to get worse. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 9 out of every 10 Palestinians in northern Gaza may be eating less than 1 meal a day.

With families displaced and sanitation close to non-existent, disease and illness will spread. Almost 40% of Gaza’s population is aged under 15. Death and despair haunt these children’s lives. We all know we must act. The question is how.

Some say we must have an immediate ceasefire. I do not want to see this conflict go on a moment longer than necessary. But this means achieving a sustainable ceasefire, one that will last and prevent another generation of children living under the constant threat of war. That means no more Hamas, and its rocket attacks and commitment to terror.

Given that, I have argued for further humanitarian pauses, to get more hostages out of and more aid in to Gaza.

But what if neither of these things happens soon? How do we avoid hunger turning into famine? How can we alleviate suffering while supporting Israel’s right to self-defence?

We need more aid – and fast. In recent days, the Royal Navy made its first maritime shipment of aid into Egypt, sending in more than 80 tonnes of blankets and life-saving medical supplies. And France and Jordan have dropped some aid by air into Gaza.

The British government and our partners are committed to being as creative as possible in getting life-saving assistance to those in need. But the fact is the need is too great for direct delivery via air and sea to make a significant difference in the short term. What matters is simpler: more aid delivered by land, more quickly and more effectively.

Last week, about 131 trucks were entering Gaza each day via the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. The figure is creeping towards 200 daily. But even this is nowhere near enough – the number should be close to 500.

We recognise Israel’s own pain and anger after the horrors of 7 October, and with hostages still held in appalling conditions. Two British citizens are among them. Of course, Hamas shows no regard for the lives of civilians, Israeli or Palestinian. The situation on the ground is complex, and no one country can resolve it alone.

Yet it will do nothing for those hostages or Israel’s war aims if the situation turns into an even greater catastrophe. And I believe there is much more we can do that will make an immediate difference.

As I saw in al-Arish in Egypt, too much aid is presently piled up, unable to enter Gaza. I have appointed a representative for humanitarian affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Based on their intensive work, we have identified the bottlenecks and how to unblock them.

Take crossing points. With extended opening hours and capacity at the Nitzana screening facility and Kerem Shalom checkpoint, much more aid could enter Gaza. Opening Kerem Shalom in December helped – opening it 7 days a week would help even more.

Opening more routes for aid to come in and be loaded on to trucks would also be transformative. Ashdod port in Israel is much closer to Gaza than Port Said in Egypt. The facilities for mass delivery are there now, ready to be used.

The new land corridor from Jordan into Gaza – run by WFP, with British backing – has made a first delivery of 750 tonnes of food aid. Both these options could deliver enormous quantities of aid, especially if the Erez crossing at the north end of Gaza was open.

Greater consistency of the goods allowed in is vital. More rational and transparent explanations of what is restricted by Israel, and why, will allow governments, aid organisations and the private sector to scale up aid considerably.

Israel could also restore water supply lines, reconnect electricity supplies and let in sufficient fuel to power critical infrastructure such as bakeries.

Finally – and perhaps most importantly of all – we need to help the United Nations, whose brave staff are trying to manage distribution in desperate circumstances inside the Gaza Strip.

It is no good getting aid in if it cannot be safely and effectively distributed. More visas and imports of vehicles for them will mean their staff can enter Gaza, enhancing our confidence that aid will reach those in genuine need.

These steps may seem technical, at odds with the scale of the human tragedy unfolding in Gaza. But our focus must be practical solutions that save lives, not empty slogans that make no difference on the ground. Such solutions exist.

The time to act is now.

This article was originally published in The Guardian and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

UK Government’s repeated refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire is shameful, says Yousaf

First Minister urges UK to hold the Government of Israel to account

First Minister Humza Yousaf has urged the UK Government to use its position as a trusted ally of the Government of Israel to demand an end to “indiscriminate attacks” that have seen thousands of children in Gaza killed. He has made it clear that those responsible for killing civilians must be held accountable.

Ten weeks since Israel’s invasion of Gaza the First Minister said the UK Government’s refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire is “shameful”.

The First Minister’s latest call comes as the United Nations has expressed concern up to 1.9 million internally displaced people are moving into smaller and smaller pockets in the Gaza Strip.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) for Palestinian Refugees has warned that 40% of the population of Gaza is now at risk of famine due to “catastrophic hunger”, and the latest Integrated food security Phase Classification (IPC) brief shows Gaza is experiencing a food security emergency driven by ongoing hostilities.

Responding to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the region, the First Minister said diplomatic approaches have so far failed to bring about any change and an immediate ceasefire was needed.

The First Minister said: “The time has come for the UK Government to speak out forcefully and make it clear that Israeli action has gone way beyond a legitimate response to the appalling Hamas attack of 7 October. 

“Hearing comments from an Israeli Government Minister urging displacement of Palestinians from Gaza is deeply disturbing and should be universally condemned. Gaza is Occupied Palestinian Territory and will be part of a future Palestinian state – Gazans should not be subject to forcible displacement or relocation from Gaza.

“The UK Government must make clear that Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israeli Ministers and military commanders will be held accountable for the killing of thousands of innocent civilians and the deaths of tens of thousands more from starvation and disease if Israel does not immediately cease indiscriminate attacks and allow aid to enter Gaza on the scale needed to avert a humanitarian disaster.

“Hamas leaders must also be held accountable for the appalling attacks against Israeli civilians on 7 October.

“Talk of a sustainable ceasefire from the UK Government has made no difference on the ground, as the situation has worsened for the people of Gaza.

“The UK Government must use its voice and influence to stop the killing – directly with the Israeli government, and indirectly with the US.”

UK steps up humanitarian aid commitments to Gaza

The Foreign Secretary saw first-hand the impact of UK aid on a visit to Al Arish, near the Egypt-Gaza border yesterday, as the UK calls for significant more aid to reach Gaza, through as many routes as possible.   

David Cameron met with representatives from the Egyptian Red Crescent Society, who are coordinating the relief effort at the Rafah crossing, and hear how the UK’s contributions of shelter, blankets and other vital equipment has been providing much needed relief to the people of Gaza.    

Together with international partners, the UK is increasing efforts to get greater humanitarian aid into Gaza. The UK will support United Nations World Food Programme to further enhance the new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan through Kerem Shalom.  

The first direct World Food Programme aid convoy, made up of 46 trucks, travelled from Jordan to Gaza on 20th December carrying over 750 tonnes of food aid. A £2 million contribution from the UK will help to get further emergency food assistance to those who need it most.   

The UK continues to urge Israel to increase the flow of aid into Gaza through Kerem Shalom and are exploring other routes to increase aid reaching Gaza, including maritime options.     

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “The UK is committed to alleviating the suffering of people in Gaza. We have already trebled our aid commitment to Palestinians this year and the Prime Minister and I urged Israel at the highest levels to open Kerem Shalom in order to get significantly more aid into Gaza.

“We need to use as many routes as possible to achieve this goal. We have supported Jordan to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza and continue to call for significantly more aid to be allowed into Gaza through Kerem Shalom.

“I am delighted to appoint Mark Bryson-Richardson as the UK’s Humanitarian Representative. He is a highly skilled diplomat official with extensive experience working in the region and will drive forward this vital work.”

The UK is stepping up its commitment for greater humanitarian aid and fuel to reach civilians in Gaza by appointing Mark Bryson-Richardson as the Foreign Secretary’s Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Mark is a former UK Ambassador to Iraq and previously headed the Department for International Development’s Middle East and North Africa Directorate and the cross-Government Stabilisation Unit.    

So far, the UK has announced it will spend almost £60 million in additional humanitarian funding in Gaza, trebling our existing annual budget to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).

UK aid will make a huge difference on the ground in Gaza, for example we will be providing coverage kits which are temporary shelters including plastic sheeting and blankets that are desperately needed in the harsh winter weather.

The UK continues to reiterate the urgent need for more humanitarian pauses and sustained access for more aid and fuel to reach civilians in need.    

The most recent package of £30 million funding, announced by the Foreign Secretary on his last visit to the region, has been allocated to trusted partners on the ground. This includes UNRWA, UNICEF, the OCHA Pooled Fund and the British Red Cross to support the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies, who are providing vital food, shelter and medical supplies.

Cameron calls for increased European coordination on humanitarian crises

  • David Cameron will travel to Paris and Rome for talks with French President Macron, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, and foreign minister counterparts 
  • He will call for increased coordination between allies to address the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza as well as maintaining support for Ukraine 
  • Discussions will also focus on working together to tackle illegal migration 

At a time of volatile international crises, Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit the French and Italian capitals today (19 December) to address the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza as well as maintaining support for Ukraine over the winter period.  

During the visit, the Foreign Secretary will reiterate his call for a sustainable ceasefire, leading to a sustainable peace, and for increased coordination across European allies to ensure life-saving aid can get into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. The Foreign Secretary will also urge continued support for Ukraine to defend itself through military, humanitarian and economic means.  

Tackling illegal migration is also high on the agenda, with the UK working alongside France and Italy to stop the criminal gangs. This follows the UK signing landmark deals with the two countries that have seen small boat channel crossings drop by a third. 

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: “As we face some of the greatest challenges to international security in a lifetime, our response must be one of strength and resilience with our European allies. 

“From the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, to Putin’s brutality in Ukraine, it is more important than ever to strengthen our alliances and make sure our voice is heard.”

In Paris, the Foreign Secretary will meet French President Emmanuel Macron, and Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss maintaining support for Ukraine and finding a long-term political solution that supports Israel’s security and the rights of Palestinians to live in peace. They will also discuss how the UK and France can continue to coordinate their humanitarian responses in Gaza. 

The visit will also look ahead to a milestone year for UK-France relations in 2024, which will mark 120 years since the signing of the Entente Cordiale and 80 years since the D-Day landings, two watershed moments for the two countries. 

Following the Prime Minister’s visit over the weekend, the Foreign Secretary will then travel to Rome for talks with the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and to address Italian ambassadors gathered at the Italian foreign ministry for their annual Heads of Mission conference.  

The Foreign Secretary will also meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s meeting with PM Meloni this weekend. Top of the agenda for the Rome programme will be boosting the two countries’ close cooperation on illegal migration. 

They will welcome a new agreement between the two countries to contribute £4 million to the International Organization for Migration’s assisted voluntary returns project in Tunisia.

The joint funding will go towards providing humanitarian assistance and support for vulnerable and stranded migrants to return home safely.