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 (691 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 254 hostages, as part of what it called “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”.
In response, in October 2023 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 is ongoing.
This briefing provides information on the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the UK response, including actions at the UN and government and opposition party statements from 5 July 2024.
The Commons Library collection, Middle East tensions in 2023/24 has more on the international response to the conflict and the conflicts in the Red Sea, Lebanon and between Israel and Iran. It also has information on activity at the UN Security Council, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), International Criminal Court (ICC) and the position and role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
Fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues. In May 2024, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) captured the Rafah crossing in Egypt, which had been the main aid crossing into Gaza since October 2023. The crossing remains closed. In October 2024 the IDF launched new operations in northern Gaza. The UN, US and UK have raised concerns about the low level of aid entering Gaza since early October 2024. Around 90% of Palestinians in Gaza are displaced.
In September 2024 the then Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, said that Hamas “no longer exists” as a “military unit” and was instead engaged in guerrilla warfare. He also said that it is no longer an effective proxy of Iran. Several Hamas leaders have been killed, including the head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, in October 2024.
Citing Israeli authorities, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health and Palestinian Civil Defence, 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 44,249 Palestinians have been reported killed, a further 10,000 are missing or under rubble and 104,746 injured across Gaza and Israel (as of 26 November 2024).
There is ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank. 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. A ceasefire between Israel and Iran-aligned Hezbollah (a proscribed terrorist group in the UK) in Lebanon and northern Israel was agreed in November 2024. Iran directly attacked Israel in April and October 2024.
From 24 November to 1 December 2023, fighting paused to enable the release of hostages. Before it 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.
Following the killing of Yahya Sinwar in October 2024, several countries, including the United States and UK, called for renewed negotiations and said it was time to end the conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the “war is not over yet” and other cabinet ministers called for Israeli operations to continue until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages released.
The UK Government supports the Biden-proposed three stage ceasefire agreement (see above), as did the Conservatives when in government. The Liberal Democrats and the SNP support a ceasefire.
In September 2024 the UK Government said it would suspend around 30 of the 350 arms export licences to Israel, following a review.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that the UK continues to support Israel’s right to self-defence in line with international humanitarian law, but he had concluded that “for certain UK arms exports to Israel there does exist a clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law”. A statement sets out the government’s reasoning. The Commons Library research briefing, UK arms exports to Israel, has more on the process and decision.
The Conservatives criticised the announcement’s timing and questioned how it would support the release of hostages. The Liberal Democrats and SNP welcomed the decision but called for UK restrictions to go further.
Labour says it will recognise a Palestinian state alongside a “safe and secure Israel” when it judges this will best support the peace process.
The Conservatives also support a two-state solution. The Liberal Democrats intend to introduce a bill for the immediate recognition of a Palestinian state. The SNP intend to bring a vote to the Commons on recognition.
The UK has announced three sets of sanctions against Israeli settlers and some outposts in the occupied West Bank, in February, May, and October 2024. Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has condemned the settler violence.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an international court (PDF) dedicated to prosecuting individuals for “the most serious crimes of international concern”. It is a court of last resort, complementing, but not replacing, local criminal courts. It is not part of the UN or ICJ.
In May 2024 the ICC prosecutor applied to the court’s judges for warrants against three Hamas leaders and two Israeli leaders (Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant). In November 2024 it said it would issue the warrants. The full press releases for the Israeli leaders and one Hamas leader (the other Hamas leaders have been confirmed to have been killed) detail the specific allegations. Israel says it will challenge the decision.
When in government, the Conservatives questioned whether the ICC had jurisdiction, as Israel is not a member of the court. It intended to submit observations to the ICC on the topic. The Labour government did not submit any observations by the ICC’s 26 July deadline, “in line with its position that this is a matter for the Court to decide on”.
Following the ICC decision in November 2024 the Minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, said the government would adhere to international law and the enforcement of any warrants in the UK would be a decision for UK courts, not the government. The Shadow Foreign Secretary, Dame Priti Patel, said the government should challenge the ICC decision. The Liberal Democrats and SNP say the UK Government should adhere to the ICC decision.
The ICJ is one of the principal organs of the UN. It settles disputes between UN member countries and provides advisory opinions on legal questions that have been referred to it by other authorized UN organs.
South Africa has brought a case against Israel at the ICJ. The ICJ has issued three preliminary orders that call for Israel to increase aid and to minimise civilian casualties (among other measures). In January 2024, Mr Lammy said Israel should comply “in full”. The Liberal Democrats say that the UK should comply with the ICC (see above) and the ICJ. The SNP has also said this.
In a separate case begun in 2022, in July 2024 the ICJ issued an advisory opinion on Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK Government said it “does not disagree with the central findings of the ICJ’s advisory opinion” and Israel should bring its presence in the OPTs to an end “as rapidly as possible” but “we are clear that every effort must be made to create the conditions for negotiations towards a two-state solution”.
Both Labour and Conservative governments said Hamas cannot be allowed to remain in Gaza and threaten Israel. Mr Lammy has also said that the Israeli Defence Forces cannot remain in Gaza. He has suggested “trusted” Arab states may take a security role there.
The UK has criticised comments by Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir suggesting Israel establish settlements in Gaza (the Israeli Government has not endorsed this). Mr Netanyahu told the US Congress that Israel does not want to resettle Gaza.
The UK government says it considers “all Israeli settlements as illegal under international law” and presenting a “threat to peace, and threaten[ing] the physical viability of a two-state solution”. This has been the position of successive UK Governments.
Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have also suggested Israel annex settlements in the occupied West Bank. The UK Government condemned the suggestion and said annexation would be illegal under international law and hinder a two-state solution. The Israeli Cabinet reportedly considered whether to return to the issue in November 2024.
In October 2024 former Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said the Conservative Government had been working on plans to sanction the two ministers. The Labour Government says it keeps its sanctions policy under review. The Liberal Democrats have called for sanctions. In response, the two Israeli ministers said any sanctions would not lead to a change in their positions
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: UK response to the conflict since July 2024 (691 KB , PDF)
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