Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee
Conclusion 6
1st Report - Israel-Palestine conflict
Published 25 Jul 2025
Addressed to Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Foreign Affairs Committee The Israeli-Palestinian conflict All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Committee condemns the killing of over 186 Palestinian journalists in Gaza and reiterates that Israel has a responsibility not to target journalists, who are protected under international law. While Israel has suggested that many of these may have been Hamas supporters, reporters from a wide range of reputable news organisations including Reuters, AFP and the BBC, have been denied entry into Gaza. Reporters Without Borders and over 200 press freedom advocacy groups have called for foreign journalists be granted immediate, independent and unrestricted access to the Gaza Strip. Ministers and diplomats must press their Israeli counterparts to restore access for journalists to report from Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, and lift the ban on media outlets that the Israeli Government does not agree with. (Recommendation, Paragraph 33) A Palestinian State
From: Foreign Affairs Committee, 1st Report - Israel-Palestine conflict (HC 488), 25 July 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 30 October 2025 (deadline 25 September 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government agrees with most of the Committee's recommendations, partially agrees on arbitrary detention and on evidence-gathering in Gaza, and "notes" those on F-35 exports, a settlement goods ban and future sanctions.
- On recognition of Palestine, the government agrees with the recommendation and states that on 21 September the UK "officially recognised the state of Palestine as a sovereign and independent state".
- On F-35 exports, the government "notes" the recommendation, says the only exception to the suspension is parts for the global F-35 programme, and says it "will always act in line with domestic and international law".
- On arbitrary detention, the government agrees on establishing an Envoy but disagrees on the definition, saying there is "not a single internationally agreed definition".
- On a Gaza evidence-gathering project modelled on Ukraine, the government "does not agree that this particular model would work", citing the lack of a state partner or structures on the ground and challenges of access.