A quieter PMQs dominated by Israel and Gazapublished at 13:34 British Summer Time 18 October 2023
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.