Written question asked by Bishop of Worcester (Bishops (affiliation)) on Wednesday, 10 January 2024, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 24 January 2024. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Thursday, 25 January 2024 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Gaza: Israel

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that (1) international humanitarian law is upheld in Gaza, and (2) civilians are protected there.

Answer: Israel has endured the worst terrorist attack in its history at the hands of Hamas. We support Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas terrorism , but it must comply with International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We keep under continuous review whether they are abiding by their obligations. We continue to call for IHL to be respected and civilians to be protected. We want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.

Secondary information