Gaza: Borders
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Written answers and statements, 22 October 2009
Linda Riordan (Halifax, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps he has taken to seek (a) the ending of restrictions on access to Gaza imposed by the Israeli authorities and (b) to ensure that international law is observed in that area.
Ivan Lewis (Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Bury South, Labour)
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu on
Although there is no permanent physical Israeli presence in Gaza, Israel maintains a significant degree of control, including control of Gaza's borders, airspace arid territorial waters. The UK does not consider that Israel's obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949 have ceased to apply in respect of Gaza and we continue to make this clear.