What is the status of Iran’s nuclear programme and the JCPOA?
How is Iran's nuclear programme developing and are talks still on the table?
Information on the UK response to the 2023/24 conflict between Israel and Hamas and situation across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories from July 2024.
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: UK response to the conflict since July 2024 (524 KB , PDF)
On 7 October 2023, the Palestinian group Hamas, officially designated a terrorist group by many countries including Israel, the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, commenced an armed assault against Israel. It launched several thousand rockets into Israel and conducted attacks in border areas, killing around 1,200 civilians and taking 253 hostages, as part of what it called “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”.
In response, in October Israel conducted air strikes against Hamas in Gaza and launched a ground attack to “destroy Hamas’ governing and military capabilities and to bring the hostages home”. Hamas continued to fire rockets into Israel after 7 October. Fighting in Gaza is ongoing.
This briefing provides information on the UK response, including activity at the UN and statements from the government and opposition parties from 5 July 2024. The Commons Library research briefing, 2023/24 Israel-Hamas conflict: US, UN, EU and regional response details the international response to the conflict, including actions at the UN Security Council, the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court, and wider violence in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
Fighting between Israel and Hamas is centred in southern Gaza, Khan Younis and the Rafah crossing into Egypt, where in May Israel announced it would conduct “limited” operations against Hamas and ordered the evacuation of Palestinian civilians. Around 90% of Palestinians in Gaza are displaced.
Citing Israeli authorities, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health and Palestinian civil defense, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) says that since 7 October over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals have been reported killed and around 5,400 injured. At least 40,861 Palestinians have been reported killed, a further 10,000 are missing or under rubble and 94,398 injured across Gaza and Israel (as of 4 September 2024).
There is also ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank and hostilities between Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah (also a proscribed terrorist group in the UK) in Lebanon and northern Israel. Other Iran-supported groups such as the Houthis in Yemen and Shia militias in Iraq and Syria have been launching attacks on civilian shipping and against US and Israeli targets.
On 13 April, Iran launched its first direct attack on Israel. It said this was in retaliation for an attack on its consulate in Syria, launching 330 drones and missiles (of which 99% were intercepted).
From 24 November to 1 December, a pause took place to enable the release of hostages. Before the pause began, Israel said it would last no longer than 10 days and that fighting would then resume. The pause enabled the release of 110 hostages from Gaza and 240 Palestinian prisoners from Israel.
On 10 June, the UN Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution introduced by the US for a three-stage plan to end the conflict, backed by Israel. Its first stage includes the release of many hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, an increase in aid and withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza. The UNSC called on Hamas and Israel to implement the agreement. Israel said it remains committed to destroying Hamas.
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: UK response to the conflict since July 2024 (524 KB , PDF)
How is Iran's nuclear programme developing and are talks still on the table?
UK aid to the West Bank and Gaza and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees
Countries that are considered to be supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine have increasingly faced US, EU and UK sanctions.