Israel and Gaza crisis dominates as Sunak faces PMQs

1. PM Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer address the crisis in Israel and Gaza at Prime Minister's Questions
2. Sunak says the UK is working with allies to establish what happened the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza on Tuesday night, where a blast left many dead
3. Starmer says the blast in Gaza - which Hamas and Israel blamed on each other - is "incredibly distressing" and calls for international law to be upheld to protect civilians
4. Both Sunak and Starmer condemn the recent rise in antisemitic incidents in the UK
5. Responding to an urgent question from Labour on the hospital blast, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly says the UK is "carefully analysing evidence"
6. He says the government "will not rush to judgement" but "as soon as we reach a definitive conclusion we will make it public"

A quieter PMQs dominated by Israel and Gaza

If you missed PMQs, here's Rishi Sunak versus Keir Starmer in full

The unfolding war in Israel and Gaza meant this was an unusual PMQs.

In place of the customary point-scoring between the parties, there was a lot of consensus between PM Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, and the conflict dominated the session.

• Both leaders emphasised the need for the Commons to speak with one voice on the conflict, and to speak out against hate and division directed against Jews and Muslims in the UK
• Both stressed that Israel had the right to defend itself and its people, to get its hostages back from Gaza, and to act against "terrorism"
• Both also spoke of Israel's response needing to stay within international law - Sunak said Israeli leaders had promised they would do so
• Starmer said the UK must do everything it could to prevent a "humanitarian catastrophe" by pressing for medicines, food, fuel and water to get into Gaza immediately, adding: "Hamas are not the Palestinian people and the Palestinian people are not Hamas"
• Starmer pressed the PM for more information on when the UK might be able to establish the facts behind last night's hospital blast in Gaza City - Sunak cautioned against a "rush to judgement"
• SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn urged the UK government to call for an immediate ceasefire in the conflict, and to reveal if it would set up refugee resettlement routes for Palestinians - Sunak said the UK was one of the most significant contributors to UN efforts to support Palestinian refugees

We're going to wrap up our live coverage here, however, you can read the latest on Israel and Gaza in our other live page here. See you next week.

The Gaza hospital urgent question - what we have heard so far

BBC

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has been answering questions on last night's blast at a hospital in Gaza

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has put an urgent question to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly about the explosion at the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza last night, and we've been following the debate in the House of Commons. Here are some of the key points so far:

• Foreign Secretary James Cleverly described the blast at the hospital as an "appalling tragedy and said the UK was "working intensively" to establish the facts and would not rush to judgement.
• He added that Israel must act with professionalism and a commitment to international law
• He also said Hamas had shown a "callous indifference to human life".
• Cleverly confirmed he would be travelling back to the region later today and said now was the time for cool heads
• Labour's shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said "every civilian death, Palestinian or Israeli, is an equal tragedy" and "pushes back the cause of peace"
• The SNP's Brendan O'Hara said the hospital deaths were "a crime against humanity" and independent investigators should be allowed to find who was responsible

Duty of care towards British diplomatic staff remains 'uppermost' - Cleverly

Conservative MP Alicia Kearns says the situation in Gaza is "unbearable".

What assessment has been made on the need to raise the threat level? And what is being done to protect our diplomatic staff around the world after attacks against Israeli and US embassies last night, she asks?

Cleverly responds by saying that he regards his duty of care towards diplomatic staff as "uppermost".

It's an incredibly difficult consular situation, he says, but adds the government will continue to work to support British nationals in the region.

We will relentlessly pursue a viable two-state solution - Cleverly

Conservative MP Peter Bottomley reads out a letter he has received from the Islamic Society, in which the group urge the government to use its influence to encourage a peaceful and sustainable resolution that prioritises innocent civilians caught up in the onslaught.

Cleverly says he is acutely conscious of the implications for Islamic communities both in the region and here in the UK.

He says the UK will relentlessly pursue a viable two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians living in peace side by side.

These circumstances are a set back but we will not be fatalistic, he adds.

Preventing spread of conflict an absolute priority - Cleverly

Cleverly responds by saying Lammy is right to say it's an "incredibly sensitive" situation.

Our desire to prevent this from spilling into the region and the world is an "absolute priority", he says, and that Muslim and Jewish communities in the UK feel safe here at home.

Those who have a voice in the public sphere should be vigilant against information and disinformation, he says, and refrain from speculation.

Death of every civilian is an equal tragedy - Labour

UK Parliament

Labour's shadow foreign secretary David Lammy says: "Hospitals must always be protected. The death of every civilian, Palestinian or Israeli, is an equal tragedy that pushes back the cause of peace."

"When facing an incident of this magnitude we have a responsibility to act judiciously," Lammy says, and asks Cleverly to join him on urging people to "avoid disinformation and avoid dangerous speculation".

He also asks for an update on what Cleverly is doing "to deal with outside powers that might be seeking to drive division within our own shores?"

Palestinian civilians in Gaza must know we are acting on their behalf, Lammy concludes.

Foreign secretary to travel to region again later

Cleverly says he will travel to the region again later on today.

None of us know how this situation will develop, he says, but adds that now is a time for cool heads and determination to make a positive difference.

Israel must defend itself in line with international law - Cleverly

UK Parliament

Cleverly continues by saying Israel must act with professionalism and an unwavering commitment to international law in defending itself.

Turning to Hamas, he says by embedding themselves in civilian populations, launching thousands of rockets since 7 October and using Palestinian civilians as human shields, they reveal "their callous indifference to human life".

He adds that the UK is focused on supporting its nationals, delivering humanitarian support, and preventing the tensions from spilling into the wider region.

UK carefully analysing evidence from Gaza hospital blast - Cleverly

UK Parliament

David Lammy MP

PMQs has finished - but shadow foreign secretary David Lammy is already on his feet and is asking Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to make a statement on the blast at a hospital in Gaza last night.

Cleverly says it was an "appalling tragedy" and that a hospital is a "place of compassion and care".

He says the UK is "working intensively with our allies to establish fact", adding: "We will not rush to judgement".

"Pointing fingers prematurely only fuels regional instability... We need a firm grasp of what has happened... We all share a duty to be thoughtful and careful," Cleverly says.

"We are carefully analysing evidence in the public domain - as soon as we reach a definitive conclusion we will make it public."

WATCH: SNP calls on PM to back immediate ceasefire

Stephen Flynn, the leader of the SNP in Westminster, also asked Rishi Sunak to condemn the "collective punishment of the Palestinian people".

Watch what happened in the clip below:

Watch: SNP calls on PM to back Middle East 'immediate ceasefire'

Sunak pressed over Israel cutting off water to Gaza

SNP MP Gavin Newlands asks Sunak about the UN description of Israel cutting Gaza off from water as a "collective punishment" and a potential "war crime", quizzing the PM on why he supports the move.

Sunak says Israelis suffered from a "brutal terror attack at the hands of Hamas", adding that their government has the right to defend itself to ensure it never happens again.

The PM notes Israel has said their military "will operate within intentional law".

Sunak concludes by saying Newlands "failed to acknowledge" that Hamas "embeds themselves inside civilian populations" and puts them in harm's way.

My office is 'besieged' by asylum seekers - MP

UK Parliament

Jill Mortimer, the Conservative MP for Hartlepool, says her office is "besieged" by asylum seekers and her staff are "intimidated" by young men.

She asks the prime minister to ensure people who have "no right to be here are expelled" adding: "Enough is enough I want these people out of Hartlepool now."

Sunak says the government is doing everything it can to tackle illegal migration and the harm it causes by removing those who have no right to be in the UK.

Hamas's 'sadism' must be condemned - SNP

The SNP's Stewart McDonald says Hamas's "sadism" can only be condemned.

But while Israel has a right to defence and security, he adds, its response must stay within international law. So how will the UK government's response ensure this, he asks.

The PM says British military assets are in the region only to provide surveillance and contingency support for humanitarian aid as and when it is required.

Sunak asked about Tamworth candidate's Facebook post

UK Parliament

Karin Smyth, Labour MP for Bristol South, references the Tamworth by-election which is being held tomorrow.

She asks whether the PM will condemn comments made by Conservative candidate Andrew Cooper on social media in 2020, which featured an expletive to refer to parents who struggled to feed their children.

In the post, Cooper shared an image of a flowchart titled "can you feed your kids?". The chart used an expletive directed at parents who were out-of-work and asking for help but while having a phone or TV contract.

Cooper has defended his comments, telling the BBC he felt there were too many unemployed people on benefits.

Sunak, in response, says he is proud of the government's record of supporting people during the cost-of-living crisis, including on energy bills and one-off payments.

Read more about the story here and check out the full list of candidates standing in Tamworth here.

Devon MP asks about wing of hospital earmarked for demolition

A wing of a hospital in Devon is earmarked for demolition, says Lib Dem MP Richard Foord, which is an "insult" to the communities who helped fund the hospital.

Will the PM hand over the space to health charities so we can stop a "wrecking ball" going through it?

Sunak replies that decisions on hospital infrastructure is a matter for the NHS.

He says Devon authorities are working with NHS and local community healthcare providers to establish a future sustainable use for the vacant space.

Spend HS2 money on Cleethorpes roads, says MP

Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers asks the PM to consider spending money from the scrapped HS2 leg on the A15 and resurfacing the A180.

Sunak replies that Network North will see Hull fully connected to the Northern Powerhouse rail network.

He adds that North East Lincolnshire will share a £2.5bn fund for local transport connections and that the transport department is continuing work on the potential of reinstating a direct service between Cleethorpes and London.

Considerable merit in idea of east-west council - Sunak

UK Parliament

Away from the situation in Israel and Gaza, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson from the DUP asks whether the PM will approve the creation of an east-west council to discuss the opportunities presented by the Union.

There's considerable merit in the idea, Sunak replies, and he looks forward to exploring the issue further.

Ex-minister urges scepticism of statements from Hamas

UK Parliament

Conservative former cabinet minister Stephen Crabb says early reports last night that Israel was responsible for the hospital blast in Gaza City led to "Jew hate" on social media.

He calls for the UK media to treat statements from officials in "terrorist-controlled" Gaza with more scrutiny and cross-examination.

Sunak agrees, saying there should be "no rush to judgement until we have all the facts" - especially as this can have an impact on communities here and across the region. People need to be careful with their words, he adds.

He says the UK is working to establish the truth robustly and independently.

Will government set up Palestinian refugee scheme?

UK Parliament

The SNP's Stephen Flynn says humanitarian corridors are needed to get food and medicines into Gaza and to allow innocent civilians to flee the terrible conflict.

He also asks if the government is considering setting up a refugee resettlement scheme for Palestinians, similar to schemes set up for Syrians, Afghans and Ukrainians.

Sunak doesn't directly answer, saying the UK is contributing to UN efforts to support refugees.

He says the most important thing is to open up access to Gaza and get support to the people who need it as quickly as possible.

Commons quieter than usual during discussion on Israel-Gaza

Chris Mason

Political editor

The Commons is so often a place of considerable noise - and more so than is often obvious on the telly - but in those opening exchanges it was the opposite.

We saw nods of agreement from Conservative MPs as they listened to the Labour leader Keir Starmer as well as the prime minister.

There were no points of disagreement between Sunak and Starmer.

The SNP leader at Westminster, Stephen Flynn, does have a different position, though: he says there should be a ceasefire, which is not what the government or Labour are saying.