Minister Doughty Statement to the House of Commons: 12 November 2026

Official Statements

• British Government, November 12: “Madam Deputy Speaker, with permission, I would like to make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the wider region. Madam Deputy Speaker, with Gaza entering its fourth winter of conflict, heavy rain and strong winds last weekend have made the intolerable humanitarian situation even worse for Palestinian civilians. [...]”

• British Government, November 12: “Flooding has damaged displacement sites, tents and buildings, including hospitals and schools. According to our humanitarian partners on the ground, more than 152,000 people have been affected, with over 6000 shelters destroyed, 17,400 damaged and nearly 4,000 households left without shelter. Three children and their mother were killed when a sand embankment collapsed on their tents.  [...]”

• British Government, November 12: “For more than three years, families have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods, and many have had to move again and again in search of safety.  Meanwhile, civilian deaths continue, with more than 1,600 killed since the so-called ceasefire alone, and Gazans kettled into around 30% of their territory.”

• British Government, November 12: “Madam Deputy Speaker, the reality on the ground is heartbreaking, yet we knew this was coming. The UN and INGOs have raised the alarm for months. Donors, including ourselves, geared up for it and put in support to aid agencies ahead of time but restrictions on access to vital supplies and machinery have hampered preparations for winter.”

• British Government, November 12: “According to the UN, over 150,000 tents and 300,000 tarpaulins that humanitarian partners and donors purchased are outside Gaza ready to go in. Yet the Israeli authorities have prevented these items from entering. They also continue to block timber from entering, leaving no emergency shelter kits available in Gaza. Madam Deputy Speaker, the problem is not simply whether the international community can provide help. It is whether that help can reach the people who need it. ”

• British Government, November 12: “And I have a very simple and direct message to the Israeli authorities: let the aid in. This is only the first storm of winter, Madam Deputy Speaker. There will be more. The UN has said that new tents alone will not protect people from flooding. Gaza urgently needs machinery and tools for drainage and rubble removal.  This is unilaterally in the Government of Israel’s control. As the occupying power, there are strict legal obligations that Israel must obey. ”

• British Government, November 12: “We have repeatedly pressed them to prepare for winter and to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, in line with international law. Madam Deputy Speaker, at the UN General Assembly, the UK brought international partners together behind a Call to Action on humanitarian access and healthcare. And today again in New York, we will bring together multiple international partners once again to reinforce that pressure. Our immediate asks of the Government of Israel are clear: Open crossing points, starting with Erez in northern Gaza. ”

• British Government, November 12: “Allow additional days for dual-use items to enter and reduce the list of those items so vital medicines, medical equipment and materials for tents and shelter can reach the people who need them. Madam Deputy Speaker, I saw items with my own eyes for which I could see no reasonable ground for refusing entry.  And they must allow access for journalists, diplomats and Foreign Ministers so the world can see the scale of what is happening.”

• British Government, November 12: “Madam Deputy Speaker, I am shocked by reports overnight that an Israeli airstrike on the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza has killed at least six people. So many healthcare workers and humanitarians have lost their lives and faced peril trying to alleviate suffering in Gaza, and of course I think particularly of those including British Nationals, brave British Nationals who lost their lives in World Central Kitchen attack.”

• British Government, November 12: “In recent months, officials at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv have pressed the Israeli authorities to take the action needed to prepare Gaza for winter. On Monday, officials met again with the Israeli embassy in London to reinforce the urgent need for action. We also call upon all parties in the conflict to allow aid to enter Gaza and get to the people who need it.  In recent weeks, I’m sorry to say that the flow of aid and essential goods into Gaza has been repeatedly disrupted.”

• British Government, November 12: “Commercial deliveries were temporarily suspended in September following reports of Hamas taxation. And on November 3, Madam Deputy Speaker, the Israeli authorities closed the Egypt corridor for six days over allegations of smuggling, cutting off an essential lifeline to Gazans.  I have been to the Egypt warehouses myself and seen the stockpiles of essential aid waiting to get in.”

• British Government, November 12: “The UN Chief for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher and other international counterparts have said - there is no excuse for this. The law is clear that civilians should get the aid they need and not be punished or subject to political negotiations. Madam Deputy Speaker, the UK government will not stand by. And we will keep working with our partners to press for these restrictions to be lifted.”

• British Government, November 12: “I am proud that government and our support has already made a difference, we already provided UNICEF with £14 million this year to support nutrition, child protection, health, water and sanitation and preparation for winter.  And so, Madam Deputy Speaker I can announce today that we are releasing a further £5 million from our bilateral budget to UNICEF, focused on the winter response including the impact of the flooding over this weekend. ”

• British Government, November 12: “Overall, UK support will make a tangible difference for the people of Gaza - aiming to provide winter clothing for 100,000 children, tarpaulins for 62,500 people, family tents for 1,250 households, and blankets for 150,000 people.  Last month, the OCHA pooled fund, to which the UK is a significant contributor, provided $45 million for winter supplies. When the flooding hit, OCHA was able to respond quickly and help families in displacement sites.”

• British Government, November 12: “Through our £88 million of humanitarian funding this financial year, we expect this to provide healthcare for up to 900,000 people, safe water for 150,000 people, and rehabilitation and prosthetic care for 1,000 children with blast injuries.  At the G7 this week, the Foreign Secretary was clear: Israel must ensure humanitarian access and humane treatment and basic welfare for civilians in Gaza.  We are acting, and we will continue to act, to alleviate that suffering.”

• British Government, November 12: “Madam Deputy Speaker, let me also repeat that we recognise Israel’s legitimate security concerns and of course condemn Hamas’s 7 October terrorist attack, the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust. I stood in resolute solidarity with Israelis and Jews at the memorial event and exhibition organised with the Israeli embassy just a few weeks ago.”

• British Government, November 12: “Let me also be clear that the United Kingdom remains committed, fully committed to the Resolution 2803 and the 20-Point Peace Plan. We are resolute and clear Hamas must decommission its weapons, dismantle its terrorist infrastructure and relinquish control of Gaza.  Madam Deputy Speaker, ultimately, we need a lasting answer to this conflict. Our North Star remains the two-state solution, and the only route to lasting peace, security and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians.”

• British Government, November 12: “Madam Deputy Speaker, with your permission, Gaza is rightly the immediate focus of my statement today. But it is not the only humanitarian crisis in the region that demands our attention. I also want to say something about the appalling situation in Yemen which is compounding years of suffering, death and destruction faced by Yemenis. The Houthis’ decision to resume conflict has worsened an already desperate humanitarian situation. Since August, more than 330,000 people have fled their homes, with more than 1,000 civilian casualties and hundreds killed.”

• British Government, November 12: “The situation is particularly acute in Taiz, where the continued Houthi siege restricts the movement of people, aid and essential goods. Women and children are particularly vulnerable as supplies run low and healthcare services are drastically reduced. The recruitment and use of children in the conflict, widespread displacement and food insecurity are causing further suffering. ”

• British Government, November 12: “In recent weeks I have met senior representatives of the Government of Yemen and listened directly to humanitarians working on the front line. We cannot turn away, donors and the world cannot turn away in the face of such appalling suffering. We need to do more. And I am also appalled by the continued detention of UN workers and the deaths that we have seen. And I reiterate that international humanitarian law must be upheld by all. ”

• British Government, November 12: “We are providing £104 million in humanitarian support to Yemen, including £10 million recently announced to the UN’s emergency fund. We will continue to work the Government of Yemen and other partners to protect and support civilians and return to a political process. Finally, Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to update the house on sanctions, which I know is a matter of keen interest. In September, the Foreign Secretary announced further action in relation to Gaza and the West Bank including a new sanctions regime targeting illegal settlement activity.”

• British Government, November 12: “And I can confirm that work is underway to prepare that regime but in recent weeks we have also moved at pace to expand the GHR regime to cover serious violations of international humanitarian law, including obstructing the delivery of or access to humanitarian aid. And in recent weeks we have also acted in other context, for example in relation to the appalling situation in Sudan, sanctioning 15 senior commanders from the RSF and the SAF for suspected atrocities, including conflict-related sexual violence. ”

• British Government, November 12: “We do not comment on future designations under our sanctions regimes. The House will know why, Madam Deputy Speaker. But I want to be clear today that we are prepared to use these expanded powers against those who continue to block the entry of aid into Gaza and other conflict zones anywhere in the world.  I commend this statement to the House. Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk Telephone 020 7008 3100 Email the FCDO Newsdesk (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.”