‘We are not responsible for Gaza’
On Saturday the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza opened for the first time to allow a small convoy of aid trucks to pass through. Victoria Derbyshire asked former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett if more aid would be allowed in. Bennett said that the Israeli government was allowing aid in, but that it was up to the rest of the world to help the people of Gaza. He also claimed Israel was not responsible for the humanitarian situation of Gazans, despite Israel controlling the borders and water and fuel supplies for the Strip.
Is more aid coming?
Derbyshire also asked immigration minister Robert Jenrick if the Israelis had given any guarantees that they would restore water or fuel to the Gaza Strip. Jenrick avoided the question, but claimed ‘Israel doesn’t want to see innocent Palestinians suffer’. Derbyshire pointed out that the lack of water affects all Palestinians, not just Hamas. Jenrick admitted that much more aid is needed.
Should Britain accept refugees from Israel and Gaza?
Derbyshire asked Jenrick whether the government should set up a scheme to allow people wanting to flee the conflict to come to the UK, as they have done for Ukrainians. Jenrick said that the first step was to try to get British nationals out of Gaza. He claimed that the UK shouldn’t use migration as its first response to conflicts or humanitarian disasters, but rather use its ‘diplomatic heft’ and international aid budget to support people.
‘People haven’t had a day of normal life’ in Gaza
Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi took issue with Derbyshire asking her to acknowledge the brutality of the Hamas attacks. She said that Israel had been doing the same to Palestinians for decades, and that no-one ever asked Israeli officials to condemn their own actions. She did say that ‘civilians are never legitimate targets’.
Starmer clarifies his position after call for apology
Keir Starmer received backlash when he appeared to suggest that Israel had the right to withhold water from Gaza. Some Muslim councillors in the Labour Party resigned, and the Labour Muslim Network asked for an apology. Lisa Nandy told Derbyshire that Starmer had since clarified that he only meant Israel had the right to defend itself, and that Labour’s position was that ‘international law must be upheld’. However she would not answer when Derbyshire asked her directly whether Israel had indeed broken international law by cutting off water.
Tory slide continues
Finally, the Tories suffered another two by-election defeats this week, with Mid Bedfordshire being won by Labour for the first time in its century-long history. Robert Jenrick told Trevor Phillips that the biggest problem was Conservative voters staying at home, and claimed that the government was ‘making progress’ and would ‘continue to deliver for the public’. Phillips pointed out that the Conservatives were failing in three of their five main pledges, and only making marginal progress in the others. Jenrick defended their results, saying the reduction in boat crossings showed their ‘plan is beginning to work’.
Comments