Antonia Bance's Letter on Gaza

Read my letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Gaza.

Dear David,

RE: Humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

This week, the World Health Organisation and over 100 aid agencies warned that mass starvation is spreading across Gaza. The devastation and destruction in Gaza is horrifying – with civilians facing death, chaos and hunger.

The government must act with urgency.

It’s clear that UNRWA is the key organisation that can safely coordinate and distribute humanitarian aid in Gaza. I welcome the government funding of UNRWA, but we must go much further to make sure food and supplies reach all who need it. I urge the government to continue its support for the organisation and resist Israel’s attempts to change established and effective international humanitarian aid operations.

We must also step up our political efforts. The UK government’s actions so far are welcome: from sanctioning Israeli ministers who have promoted ethnic cleansing, to suspending most arms sales to Israel. But again, we must go further.

Israel’s escalating ground offensive, extremist rhetoric from some of its leadership, and continued support for West Bank settlements have created a catastrophic situation for Palestinians. The lack of access to healthcare in Gaza and the increasing use of evacuation orders is leading to civilian deaths and forced displacement.

These actions increase the very real risk of ethnic cleansing and leave nowhere safe for Palestinians in Gaza. They also undermine the security of the Israeli people and efforts to secure the return of hostages taken by Hamas in October 2023.

The death and destruction must stop. All options must be considered, and all action must be taken to prevent crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territory. This includes

• Pressing for full humanitarian aid and continuing to support UNRWA – the Foreign Office must make it clear that blocking aid to Gaza and dismantling established aid operations will be met by accountability measures.

• Upholding international law and international humanitarian law – as an occupying power, Israel has responsibilities and obligations to the Palestinian people. Population transfers, collective punishment, the failure to distinguish between civilian and military infrastructure, and the disproportionate use of force constitute breaches of international law and crimes against humanity – all which Israel is at real risk of committing. The UK must also set out its response to the ICJ Advisory Opinion released last year.

• Recognising Palestinian statehood and working towards a two-state solution – the government has stated that recognition of Palestine must be at a time most conducive to peace. Sadly, that position is no longer tenable. The Israeli government feels emboldened to carry out a policy of forced displacement and extremist ministers are pushing for the annexation of Palestinian territory. The current Israeli government is pursuing policies that could make a two-state solution impossible.

• Securing the release of Israeli hostages – Hamas’s horrific actions in October 2023, and its continued detention of Israeli civilians, is abhorrent. I welcome the UK’s consistent calls for the hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally.

• Restricting trade with illegal settlements – the expansion of settlements in the West Bank is illegal under international law, is a violation of Palestinian rights, and makes it harder to achieve a two-state solution. I support the UK government’s decision in May to sanction three individuals and four entities in the settler movement and to suspend free trade negotiations with Israel. But we must strengthen restrictions and improve differentiation between goods made in Israel and those made in settlements.

The destruction in Gaza, the ongoing detention of Israeli hostages, and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank have created a dire humanitarian catastrophe and appalling scenes of devastation. Gazans and the Palestinian people need action now. I call on the UK government to act.

Best wishes,

Antonia Bance