Speeches by Patrick.

“Would you take the opportunity to call for Hamas to allow the Red Cross in to see those hostages?”

“We heard from the ambassador earlier, calling for Hamas to allow the Red Cross in to see hostages. I know that the Red Cross were involved in the early deal that saw your mother come out. I wondered what your experience of working with the Red Cross is and, for our legal minds, what the legal status is of not allowing …”

“Ambassador, what more can the UK do to encourage those holding British-linked hostages currently in Gaza to be released?”

“Why is the Red Cross not able to go and see those British-linked hostages?”

“Why are they not?”

“Would you take the opportunity to call for Hamas to allow the Red Cross in to see those hostages?”

“I listened carefully to the shadow Minister’s reply, and it sounded to me like he welcomed much of the investment that our Government will deliver, but, funnily enough, he will not support any measures to pay for it. I was always taught that the Tories were against a something-for-nothing culture. Does my right hon. Fr…”

“The right hon. Member mentioned the families who are here today to listen to this debate, and in doing so highlighted the impact on not just those detained or held hostage but their loved ones, friends and family. I take the opportunity to invite him to recognise the family and friends of British-linked hostages held i…”

“I am interested in what you just said about the Arab world and what they are seeing, and what Israel is seeing. It sounds like they are seeing different things.”

“I am also struck by a conversation I had with a politician in the West Bank back in March, who told me that October 7 was some soldiers fighting some soldiers, and a couple of hoodlums doing some bad things, but that was all it was. It struck me in that moment that it is going to be intensely difficult if two people do…”

“I made a commitment to Mandy Damari, the mother of Emily Damari, that I would raise her case whenever it is appropriate to do so. How do we best secure her release and that of the other hostages? Abtisam spoke eloquently about the requirement to get aid into Gaza. How do we achieve that? If I can tie this into the broa…”

“With the Chair’s indulgence, I am going to ask a short question.”

“You mentioned the work of UNRWA, which is vital in getting much-needed aid in, but I am also aware of the £1 million that we have invested in the reforms that we feel are necessary. I believe you committed to an annual audit of the work done to introduce those reforms. Will the outcome of that audit be made public? By …”

“It may be very immediately post-conflict, but what lessons from the ceasefire achieved in Lebanon will you take for our efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza?”

“Welcome, Foreign Secretary. When Sir Philip was with us a week ago, I asked a question about the fact that more men were receiving bonuses than women in the Foreign Office, which does not seem right to me. We asked for a note about the gender pay gap and by when it might be eradicated. The note says that there is no da…”

“What lessons can we learn from our past that we need to learn in those next steps for Gaza to bring about its redevelopment and reconstruction? I am thinking about Iraq.”

“You mentioned some of the guarantees that we would need to offer Israel as an ally for it to feel secure in a region that has seen the devastating attack of 7 October. Could you comment on the nature of those and what we as a UK Government can do to offer those reassurances?”

“In the spirit of getting ahead, we are hoping to achieve the ceasefire in Gaza and we are hoping that there will be a rebuilding then of Gaza.”

“I have a comment on that. Coming from you, from the top, the suggestion that that is what you want to see is what is going to make change happen. In my experience of past organisations, when the top say, “We care about this and we would like you to get there”, although you cannot always make that happen at the right ti…”

“I cannot imagine the horror that Emily Damari, now well over a year in captivity in Gaza, is going through. I know that you have talked about stepping up diplomatic efforts to secure her release. Could you update us on those efforts, what that looks like, and what progress is being made to get Emily home?”