Israel-Hamas conflict: UK response October 2023 to July 2024

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 also continued to fire rockets into Israel. On 24 June, the Israeli Prime Minister said that the “intense phase” of fighting in Gaza would end “very soon”.

This briefing provides information on the UK response from 7 October 2023 to 5 July 2024 (when a new UK Government took office), including activity at the UN and statements from the government and opposition parties. The Commons Library research briefing, 2023-25 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 violence in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.  

Ongoing hostilities and casualties

Fighting has been centred on southern Gaza and the Rafah crossing into Egypt, where in May 2024 Israel announced it would conduct “limited” operations against Hamas. It ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 Palestinians from the eastern Rafah. An estimated 950,000 had left by July.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees estimated 1.7 million people in Gaza (77% of its 2.2 million population) were displaced (to July).

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 from 7 October to 3 July 2024, more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were reported killed and 5,432 injured. At least 37,953 Palestinians were reported killed, a further 10,000 were missing or under rubble, and about 87,266 injured across Gaza and Israel.

There were also ongoing 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 launched attacks on civilian shipping and against US and Israeli targets.

On 13 April 2024 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).

Pauses in fighting and ceasefire proposals   

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.

UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2728, passed in March 2024, which called for an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages during Ramadan, and which the UK supported, was not implemented. Israel criticized the resolution for failing to condemn Hamas and argued it gave Hamas “hope that international pressure will force a ceasefire without the release of our hostages”. The Palestinian Authority called for an immediate ceasefire.

On 10 June the UNSC passed a resolution introduced by the United States 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 remained committed to destroying Hamas in Gaza.  

UK response (7 October 2023 to 5 July 2024)

Government advice for British nationals

• Any British nationals in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Lebanon should register their presence with the UK Government. It advised that all British nationals should leave Lebanon. ­
• UK visa holders in Gaza who hold valid permission to enter or remain in the UK for more than six months and have a spouse/partner or a child aged 17 or under in the UK can contact the UK for assistance to leave.
• There were no exit routes for foreign nationals to leave Gaza. The UK Government was working on alternatives with Israel, Egypt, and Jordan.

Military, diplomatic and humanitarian actions   

• The UK Government deployed military assets to promote de-escalation and conduct surveillance activities. The government had not provided “lethal or military equipment” to Israel since 7 October.
• UK military assets supported the defence of Israel against Iran in April. The UK participated in Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks and conducted four air strikes against the group alongside the United States from January to May 2024.
• UK ministers met with countries in the region to discuss de-escalation. In February 2024, then Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said Iran must be “held accountable” for the actions of its proxy groups in the region.
• In 2023/24, the UK provided over £100 million in aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. None was directed via Hamas. In January 2024 the government said it would not announce future funding plans for UNRWA before the completion of two UN reports into the agency following allegations some of its staff were involved in the Hamas assault of 7 October. Other political parties called for funding to be restored: see the research briefing, UK aid to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Government and opposition statements on the conflict

• Hamas: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the 7 October assault by Hamas as a “pogrom” and said Hamas must release all hostages unconditionally. He said Hamas can no longer be allowed to rule Gaza.
• A major Israeli offensive in Rafah: In April Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell said that “given the number of civilians” then in Rafah, it was “not easy to see how such an offensive could be compliant with internationalhumanitarian law in the current circumstances”. Labour and the SNP opposed major actions in Rafah.
• International law: The government said it expected all parties to the conflict to comply and minimise civilian casualties. It raised the protection of civilians “on every occasion” when meeting Israeli officials. In March, the then Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns, raised concerns that Israel (as well as Hamas) was not compliant. Former Attorney General Suella Braverman argued Israel was compliant.
• International Court of Justice: South Africa has brought a case against Israel at the ICJ. In January, March, and May 2024, the ICJ issued preliminary orders issued that called on Israel to increase aid into Gaza and to minimise civilian casualties (among other measures). The UK Government said it considered bringing the case “unhelpful”. It said some of the preliminary orders, such as Hamas releasing hostages and for more aid to enter Gaza, were things the UK had been calling for.
• International Criminal Court (ICC): In May the ICC prosecutor applied to the court’s judges for warrants against three Hamas leaders and two Israeli government ministers (Mr Netanyahu and the defence minister). The full press release details allegations against the specific individuals. The UK has submitted a request to determine the ICC’s jurisdiction over Israeli nationals. Prime Minister Sunak described the application as “deeply unhelpful” and said that there was “no moral equivalence” between Israel and Hamas. Then shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that the UK should respect any ICC decision.
• Arms exports: The government said arms exports were kept under review and assessed against the UK’s arms exports criteria, which include ending a licence if there is a “clear risk” it might be used to “commit or facilitate” a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The SNP and Liberal Democrats called for UK arms to be suspended. In March 2024 the Labour Party called for the government’s legal advice to be released and for UK arms not to be used in a Rafah offensive.
• Displacement of Palestinians: In January 2024 the UK said there should be no “forced displacement” from Gaza and that “Gaza is Occupied Palestinian Territory and will be part of a future Palestinian state”.
• Israeli settler violence: The UK condemned the violence in the West Bank. In February and May, it announced visa restrictions against “extremist Israeli settlers”. Mr Netanyahu has condemned the violence.
• Post-conflict Gaza: Priorities for the UK included establishing a “credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution” and reforms to the Palestinian Authority. In April the government said ensuring Hamas is not in control of Gaza was “essential and unavoidable” for peace.
• Two-state solution: The government supported “a Palestinian state […] alongside a safe and secure Israel”. In January, it said it would recognise a Palestinian state when judged to “best serve the objective of peace”.

Statements on a ceasefire

• In December, the government announced it would support a “sustainable ceasefire” as a pathway to a “sustainable peace”. Such a ceasefire includes the release of hostages, aid delivery, and for Hamas to no longer pose a threat to Israel. It argued a ceasefire otherwise was “implausible” as it requires both sides to agree.
• In March 2024, the UK voted in favour of a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire and release of hostages during Ramadan and in June for the American resolution on a three-stage plan to end the conflict.
• The government also supported more temporary “humanitarian pauses” for the delivery of aid and the release of hostages.
• In February 2024, the Labour Party called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”, having previously called for a “sustainable ceasefire” and humanitarian pauses. The SNP called for an immediate ceasefire. The Liberal Democrats supported an “immediate bilateral ceasefire”.

Update log: This briefing paper was last updated in May 2024. A further update was published on 11 September 2024 to include events between May 2024 and July 2024.