Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Israel on lifting the illegal closure of Gaza.

Alistair Burt, Minister of State for the Middle East at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office: ​I visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Gaza, at the end of May. I met Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Hotovely and Israeli Minister for Regional Cooperation Hanegbi, and encouraged urgent action to improve the situation in Gaza. We welcome the steps that Israel has taken to ease some restrictions. However whilst recognising legitimate security concerns, we want to see Israel go much further. We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions are doing to the living standards of Palestinians in Gaza and that supporting legal trade for Gazans is firmly in Israel’s long-term interests. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary both raised concerns about the situation in Gaza during their meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 6 June.

Hansard

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