Thank you Mr Speaker. Today we mark a year since the horrific attack on Israel by the terrorists of Hamas.
It was the bloodiest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. A day of sorrow, a day of grief. Over a thousand people were massacred.
Hundreds taken hostage in an attack borne of hatred. Targeted not just at individuals but at Jewish communities, at their way of life and at the state of Israel – the symbol of Jewish security to the world.
Mr Speaker, 15 British citizens were brutally slain that day, another has since died in captivity. Our thoughts today are with Jewish people around the world, the Jewish community here in the UK and all those we lost a year ago.
For so many, the pain and horror of that day is as acute today as it was a year ago. They live it every day.
Last week I met the families of British hostages and those killed on the 7th of October. I sat with them as they told me about their loved ones. I will never forget their words.
Mandy Damari spoke about her love for her daughter, Emily. She said – and I quote: “My personal clock stopped at 10:24 on the 7th of October…” the moment when Emily sent a desperate, unfinished message as Hamas attacked her Kibbutz. She is still held captive today.
We can hardly imagine what hostages like Emily are going through. Nor what the families are going through, the agony, agony – day after day.
So, I say again, the hostages must be returned immediately and unconditionally. They will always be uppermost in our minds.
And I pay tribute again to the families for their incredible dignity and determination.
Mr Speaker today is also a day of grief for the wider region as we look back on a year of conflict and suffering.
The human toll among innocent civilians in Gaza is truly devastating. Over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed. Tens of thousands orphaned. Almost two million displaced. Facing disease, starvation, desperation without proper healthcare or shelter. It is a living nightmare, and it must end.
We stand with all the innocent victims in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and beyond. And we stand with all communities here in the UK against hatred – of Jews or Muslims. Because any attack on a minority is an attack on our proud values of tolerance and respect – and we will not stand for it.
Mr Speaker, with the Middle East close to the brink and the very real danger of a regional war, last week the Iranian regime chose to strike Israel. The whole House will join me in utterly condemning this attack.
We support Israel’s right to defend herself against Iran’s aggression in line with international law.
Because let’s be very clear this was not a defensive action by Iran. It was an act of aggression and a major escalation in response to the death of a terrorist leader. It exposes once again Iran’s malign role in the region.
They helped equip Hamas for the 7th of October attacks. They armed Hizballah who launched a year-long barrage of rockets on northern Israel forcing 60,000 Israelis to flee their homes and they support the Houthis who mount direct attacks on Israel. And continue to attack international shipping.
Mr Speaker, the whole House will join me in thanking our brave servicemen and women who have shown their usual courage in countering this threat. But make no mistake the region cannot endure another year of this. Civilians on all sides have suffered too much. All sides must now step back from the brink and find the courage of restraint. There is no military solution to these challenges so we must renew our diplomatic efforts.
Together with My Rt Hon Friend the Foreign Secretary I had discussions with the leaders of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, the G7 and the EU and made the case at the United Nations for political solutions to end the fighting.
In the weeks ahead we will continue this work focused on three areas.
Firstly, Lebanon where our immediate priority is the safety of British citizens, our team is on the ground helping to get people out. We have already brought over 430 people home on chartered flights. We stand ready with additional evacuation efforts, as necessary.
And I say again an important message to those British citizens still in Lebanon: you must leave now.
Mr Speaker, we are also working to ease the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon. Last week we provided £10 million of vital support in addition to the £5 million we’re already providing to UNICEF.
But the situation cannot go on. We will continue to lead calls for an immediate ceasefire and the return to a political plan for Lebanon based on Security Council Resolution 1701, which requires Hizballah to withdraw north of the Litani River.
They must stop firing rockets and end this now so that people on both sides of the border can return to their homes.
Second, Mr Speaker, we must renew efforts for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. But we cannot simply wait for this to happen. We must do more now to provide relief to the civilian population. That’s why we have restarted aid to UNRWA, we’re supporting field hospitals and the delivery of water, healthcare and treatment for malnourished children.
But the ongoing restrictions on aid are impossible to justify. Israel must open more crossings and allow life-saving aid to flow. Crucially, they must provide a safe environment for aid workers – too many have been killed, including three British citizens.
Israel must act now so that, together with our allies, we can surge humanitarian support ahead of winter.
Third, Mr Speaker, we must put in place solutions for the long term to break the relentless cycle of violence. The ultimate goal here is well understood it must be the two state solution. There is no other option which offers stability and security. So we need to build a political route towards it so that Israel is finally safe and secure alongside the long-promised Palestinian state.
This requires support for the Palestinian Authority to step into the vacuum in Gaza. It requires an urgent international effort to support reconstruction and it requires guarantees for Israel’s security.
We will work with our allies and partners to that end. But the key to all of this remains a ceasefire in Gaza now. The unconditional release of the hostages, the unhindered flow of aid. That is the fundamental first step to change the trajectory of the region.
Mr Speaker, nobody in this House can truly imagine what it feels like to cower under the bodies of your friends, hoping a terrorist won’t find you, mere minutes after dancing at a music festival.
Nobody in this House can truly imagine seeing your city, your homes, your schools, your hospitals, your businesses obliterated, with your neighbours and family buried underneath. It is beyond our comprehension and with that should come a humility.
It is hard even to understand the full depth of this pain but what we can do is remember. What we can do is respect and listen to the voices that reach out to us at these moments. And what we can do, Mr Speaker, is use the power of diplomacy to try and find practical steps that minimise the suffering on the ground and work towards that long-term solution, so that a year of this terrible and bloody conflict can never happen again.
That is what we have done on these benches, it’s what the whole House has done and it’s what this Government will continue to do.
I commend this statement to the House.
