Select Committee · Foreign Affairs Committee

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Status: Closed Opened: 25 Nov 2024 Closed: 30 Oct 2025 10 recommendations 15 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry asks how the UK and its allies can help to achieve a ceasefire and lasting end to the war in Gaza and Lebanon.

Reports

1 report

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
1st Report - Israel-Palestine conflict	HC 488	25 Jul 2025	25	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items

1 Conclusion 1st Report - Israel-Palestine conflict Acknowledged

Replace Gaza Humanitarian Foundation system with a UN-led humanitarian aid system.

The situation in Gaza and the West Bank is intolerable. Ministers and diplomats should exert every effort to reach an immediate end to the fighting, population displacement and restrictions on supplies of essentials. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) system has led to the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of civilians and …

Government response. The government agrees to redouble efforts for a ceasefire, outlining ongoing diplomatic work but not committing to specific new actions. The recommendation to replace the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation system with a UN-led system is not explicitly addressed.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

4 Recommendation 1st Report - Israel-Palestine conflict Acknowledged

Agree and publish arbitrary detention definition, establish Envoy with clear objectives.

The Government should agree and publish a definition of arbitrary detention. In response to this report, the Foreign Secretary must outline his plans and set a firm timeline to establish an Envoy for Arbitrary Detention, which he has already promised to this Committee. He should publish the objectives for the …

Government response. The government partially agrees, committing to establishing an Envoy for complex detention cases and stating they are working at pace on the appointment, but does not provide a firm timeline or objectives. It disagrees with agreeing and publishing a definition …

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

14 Conclusion 1st Report - Israel-Palestine conflict Acknowledged

UK is well-placed to deploy its convening power for Middle East peace processes.

While the UK is no longer a dominant power in the Middle East, it does enjoy the respect of most countries in the region. Consequently, it is well placed to deploy its convening power to bring together conflicting and diverse parties. The involvement of states in the region that have …

Government response. The government agrees, supporting regional normalisation and encouraging countries with normalised relations to participate in peace efforts. It states the UK supports broader efforts towards a two-state solution.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

15 Recommendation 1st Report - Israel-Palestine conflict Acknowledged

Encourage other countries to normalise relations for a two-state solution peace process.

The Government should encourage other countries to normalise relations in order to participate in a peace process for a two-state solution. (Recommendation, Paragraph 84)

Government response. The government agrees, supporting normalisation and encouraging countries with normalised relations to participate in peace efforts. It states the UK supports broader efforts towards a two-state solution.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Oral evidence sessions

8 sessions

Date	Witnesses
16 Jun 2025	Anna Halford · Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) UK, Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan · Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), Rohan Talbot · Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), Shaina Low · Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)	View ↗
13 May 2025	His Excellency Mr Rami Mortada · Embassy of Lebanon in the United Kingdom	View ↗
22 Apr 2025	Jonathan Sacerdoti, Natasha Hausdorff · UK Lawyers for Israel, Shelly Tal Meron · Israeli Knesset	View ↗
11 Mar 2025	Mr Hamish Falconer MP · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Stephen Hickey · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office	View ↗
27 Jan 2025	Alon-Lee Green · Standing Together, Amnon Be’eri Sulitzeanu · The Abraham Initiatives, Bassam Aramin · Parents Circle Families Forum, John Lyndon · Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), Robi Damelin · Parents Circle Families Forum, Rula Daood · Standing Together, Shahira Shalaby · The Abraham Initiatives	View ↗
12 Dec 2024	Claire Clement · British Red Cross, Professor Marco Sassoli · University of Geneva	View ↗
10 Dec 2024	Adam Rose · Mishcon de Reya, Adam Wagner · Doughty Street Chambers, Colonel (Retired) Miri Eisin · International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Dr Gershon Baskin · Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI), Dr Sharone Lifschitz, Dr Victor Kattan · The University of Nottingham, H.E. Dr Husam Zomlot · Palestine Mission to the United Kingdom, Samer Sinijlawi · Jerusalem Development Fund	View ↗
3 Dec 2024	Rt Hon Alistair Burt · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office	View ↗

Correspondence

5 letters

Date	Direction	Title
28 Oct 2025	—	Correspondence from the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Turkey rel…
22 Jul 2025	—	Correspondence from UNRWA regarding the situation in Gaza, the West Bank and Ea…
14 Jan 2025	—	Correspondence with the Foreign Secretary relating to hostages held by Hamas, d…
14 Jan 2025	—	Correspondence with the Foreign Secretary relating to the Israeli-Palestinian c…
14 Jan 2025	—	Correspondence from UNRWA relating to Israel-Palestine, dated 06/01/2025