Starmer says he expects debate about ‘full horror’ of what happened in Gaza when media allowed in – UK politics live

Starmer says, when media admitted to Gaza, he expects further debate about ‘full horror’ of what happened there

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, asks for more detail of what the UK is doing to help ensure more aid gets into Gaza.

He says all the bodies of dead hostages need to be returned.

And he asks what the UK is doing to ensure that the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank stops.

Starmer thanks Davey for the “content and tone” of his response. (He is making a contrast with Badenoch’s.)

On aid, he says there is a need for more trucks be admitted to Gaza.

On the bodies of hostages, Starmer says he agrees with Davey.

He says, when the media are finally admitted to Gaza, he thinks there will be ‘“quite some debate” in the Commons about “the full horror” of what happened.

And he says the UK has told Israel that illegal settlements should not be allowed on the West Bank.

Key events

Julian Smith, the Conservative former Northern Ireland secretary, asked Starmer if he agreed that the government should find officials who had experience of working on the peace process in Nothern Ireland to see if they could help with the process in the Middle East.

Starmer welcomed the idea, and paid tribute to the role Smith played in Northern Ireland.

Starmer says ‘internationalise the intifada’ amounts to call to attack Jews, and ‘no other interpretation’ possible

Julian Lewis also asked Starmer if he accepted that there was no possible interpretation of the slogan “internationalise the intifada” (or “globalise the intifada”, to use the more common version) other than to understand it as “a call to attack Jewish communities around the world”.

Starmer replied: “There’s no other interpretation.” He said he was glad that Lewis had raised it, giving him the chance to clarify that “important point”.

Julian Lewis (Con) asks who will prevent Hamas retaining its weapons and seizing control again.

Starmer says this will be difficult. But it is vital. It was difficult in Northern Ireland too, and that is why the UK has offered its expertise in this area, he says.

Some Labour MPs have criticised Kemi Badenoch for the tone of her reply to Keir Starmer.

Clive Efford said that she should remember that “not every statement in this house is an opportunity for political knockabout”.

And Melanie Ward made a point of praising the role in this process played by Jonathan Powell, the PM’s national security adviser. Badenoch has implied Powell should resign over the China spy case controversy. “Not for the first time, [Badenoch] has no idea what she is talking about, and her backbenchers know that as well,” Ward said.

Starmer praises Edward Leigh for defending Palestinians’ right to their own state, saying he’s like ‘old Tory party’

Edward Leigh, the Conservative father of the house, says he would like to hear the Commons united in saying they are “completely committed to creating a Palestinian state in the West Bank”. He says that is the “God-given right” of Palestinians.

Leigh is making a point about his own party, which opposed the government’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine and which only seems to show limited interest in the two-state solution.

Starmer welcomes Leigh’s comment, saying “that sounds like the old Tory party I used to know”.