The continuing humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians and the lack of access to Gaza for parliamentarians were among the topics discussed by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Trish Morris and Gavin Shuker MP at a briefing in Parliament this Wednesday. Reporting on their recent delegations to Palestine, organised by Medical Aid for Palestinians and Caabu, the panellists spoke about the challenges they witnessed on their visits.
“The actions that take place here in the UK do have an effect, but we need to be actively engaged,” said Gavin Shuker MP, who visited the West Bank in January, Speaking about MPs’ overwhelming vote to recognise Palestine as a state in October last year, the Labour MP for Luton South and Shadow International Development Minister said: “The UK vote to recognise Palestine was a huge shift, but it came at a time when confidence in the viability of the two state solution is at a low ebb.”
Conservative Peer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who visited the West Bank with MAP and Caabu in December also emphasised the importance of finding political solutions to the conflict and advocating for the recognition of “the second state in the two state solution we believe in.”
The current humanitarian crisis affecting Gaza, following Israel’s summer offensive in which claimed over 1,500 civilian lives and left over 100,000 people homeless, was also discussed by speakers. Baroness Morris, MAP President and Conservative Peer who visited Gaza as UK Trade Envoy to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in December last year said, "it's almost biblical-looking at Gaza at the moment."
Gavin Shuker MP highlighted that, though the UK has committed funding to rebuild Gaza, the slow progress in reconstruction and delivering aid was “leading to people freezing to death.” He further emphasised the need to “emphasise the humanitarian effect of the current situation.”
No delegation of British MPs has been granted access to Gaza by Israel since 2009, however all speakers agreed that this must change so that they can monitor the application of vitally needed UK aid funding for Gaza. “It is so important that as many people as possible go to the region and see it with their own eyes,” said Baroness Morris. Gavin Shuker MP added: “There is no substitute to visiting and meeting with ordinary people.”
A new Early Day Motion in Parliament calls for the British Government “to do everything in its power to persuade the Israeli authorities to permit parliamentary access into Gaza to assess the situation, the needs of the population and how British funds are being spent.” Medical Aid for Palestine is urging MPs to sign this Motion, and to ensure that vital aid reaches Gaza’s beleaguered population.