Andy Slaughter questions Foreign Secretary on legality of war in Gaza

Image: Foreign Secretary David Lammy speaking in Parliament on Friday; video grab from parliamentlive.tv

Foreign Secretary announces UK will resume funding UN Agency for Palestinian refugees

The new Labour government has announced the UK will resume funding to the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

“We are overturning the suspension of UNWRA funding,” Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Parliament on Friday (19 July). He told the House of Commons it was: “absolutely central” to providing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

David Lammy committed £21 million in new funds for the aid agency, lifting the suspension imposed by the previous government. UNWRA supplies 60% of the aid to Gaza.

Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham Munira Wilson said she welcomed the decision and thanked the Foreign Secretary for “the overall change of tone from his predecessors on this issue”.

Image: Hammersmith & Chiswick MP Andy Slaughter speaking in Parliament on Friday; video grab from parliamentlive.tv

Hammersmith & Chiswick MP questions David Lammy on whether there have been breaches of international law over Gaza

MP for Hammersmith and Chiswick Andy Slaughter also thanked the Foreign Secretary for the work he had done “moving Government policy on this issue and for putting the situation in Gaza at the top of his agenda,” commending “the fact that he and the Prime Minister have consistently called for international law to be followed in the conflict”.

He asked the Foreign Secretary:

“When will he publish the Government’s assessment of whether any parties have breached international law since 7 October and what the consequences of any such breaches should be?”

Images: Foreign Secretary David Lammy (L); MP for Hammersmith & Chiswick Andy Slaughter (R)

David Lammy answered:

“I am very grateful to my honourable friend for that question, and I know he has been a champion of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people in this House for many, many years indeed.

“He pushes me on an important subject. Can I say to him, he is an esteemed lawyer so he understands why I am choosing my words carefully. This is a quasi-legal process and it’s important that I follow the actions in the appropriate way with all probity and all integrity.

“So I will consider those assessments when they are made available to me. I instigated a process on the first day in office, I am supported of course in that by our Attorney General, and I hope to be able to make my views known with full accountability and transparency.”

There was a moment of levity in the debate when David Lammy referred to Andy Slaughter’s constituency having gone “upmarket”.

READ ALSO: Foreign Secretary tells Andy Slaughter his constituency has gone “more upmarket”

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