Green Party statement on restoration of UNRWA funding

Green Party MP for North Herefordshire, Ellie Chowns said: “Lifting the ban on UK funding for the United Nations aid agency for Palestine (UNRWA) is welcome. It is vital that the UN is now allowed full access to Gaza and the Occupied Territories to carry out its humanitarian work. The UK government has an important role in ensuring this happens.

“As I pointed out to the Foreign Secretary in the Commons this morning, I am clear that arms sales to Israel should stop, given that the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court has said war crimes have taken place. The legal advice that the Foreign Secretary has commissioned should be published immediately.

“I question the Foreign Secretary’s approach to achieving the very overdue and necessary full ceasefire in Gaza. It is clearly not enough to ‘call for’ a ceasefire or talk about diplomatic pressure for a ceasefire.

“These tactics are woefully insufficient in persuading both parties to stop fighting. The Netanyahu government is deeply incentivised to continue the conflict. There must be meaningful pressure on both parties, including the threat of targeted sanctions, to force them to end the horrific bloodshed.”