Tag: conflict

Bishop of Norwich asks about response to Israel-Iran conflict

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on ensuring respect for international norms of armed conflict and humanitarian law on 19th June 2025, in response to a Government statement on the Iran-Israel conflict:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, those on these Benches join others in calling for Iran and Israel to draw back from war, especially the killing of civilians, and, as His Majesty’s Government have rightly said, prioritise restraint, diplomacy and dialogue. The noble Lord, Lord Purvis, rightly raised the fact that the conflict with Iran threatens to overshadow and move the focus away from the conflict in Gaza, and I am reassured by the Minister’s response to that. In both conflicts, though, civilians have been and are being targeted. What actions are His Majesty’s Government taking to ensure that internationally accepted norms of armed conflict are being respected, as well as the norms of humanitarian law?

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about issues around the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 18th June 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to review the guidance to businesses trading in produce originating from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about actions of the Israeli military and international humanitarian law

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 17th June 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Israeli Defence Force’s reported use of the ‘Dahiya Doctrine’, the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; and of whether it is compatible with international humanitarian law.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about government policy towards Israel and Palestine

The Bishop of Southwark asked a question on efforts to recognise Palestinian statehood and the issue of trade with illegal settlements in Israel on 16th June 2025, following a government statement on the conflict in the Middle East:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I pray for wise judgment and a swift end to the current conflict between Israel and Iran. I pray for restraint and for the safety and well-being of Jewish people, here and around the world. I support the steps that have been made to protect British nationals and I am appalled by the attacks on civilians, wherever they occur.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about recent attack on Anglican Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza and urges government to consider recognition of state of Palestine

On 9th June 2025, the Bishop of Southwark asked a question on the recent Israeli forces attack on the Anglican Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, and raised the need for the UK government to recognise the state of Palestine:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister and to His Majesty’s Government for the Statement on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. May I press the Minister on two things? The first is the attack by Israeli forces on the compound of the Anglican al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, killing five, including three journalists and a father escorting his son to the surgical unit for treatment for prior injuries. This is the latest in a number of attacks by the IDF on church hospitals and churches, in defiance of international law. Will the Minister accept that specific actions are now required, since reasoned pleas have been ignored?

Secondly, in light of what the Minister has said about the UN conference from 17 to 20 June and the conducive time to recognise Palestine, will he confirm that a bold and clear statement will be made at that conference of the Government’s firm intention to recognise the state of Palestine?

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Bishop of St Albans asks about conflict in Sudan

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 5th June 2025:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with (1) the Sudanese Armed Forces, and (2) the Rapid Support Forces, about the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

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Bishop of Norwich asks about war graves in Gaza

The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answer on 13th May 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of damage caused by the conflict in Gaza to (1) the Gaza War Cemetery and, (2) the Deir El Balah War Cemetery.

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Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham takes part in VE and VJ day debate

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham spoke in a debate marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan on 9th May 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, it is a privilege to speak in this debate. I congratulate my right reverend friend the Bishop of Peterborough on her excellent maiden speech, and I look forward to her insightful and wide-ranging contribution to the work of this House in the coming days, particularly drawing on her experience in education and with young people. I also thank the Minister for his very moving and impassioned speech opening this debate.

We commemorate a time of extraordinary sacrifice and service in the story of our nation, as well as our allied partners, notably in the Commonwealth. Victory, we know, was hard won. I pay particular tribute to the vital work of the Armed Forces chaplains, who served with great distinction throughout the war. We can be thankful that they remain an essential and fully integrated part of our military capability, not only because of their vital role in times of conflict but for the well-being of all service personnel during training, on exercise and on deployment in strategic peacetime operations.

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Bishop of Leeds asks about conflict in Sudan

The Bishop of Leeds asked a question on the government’s approach to the economic benefits to the warring parties in the conflict in Sudan on 28th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: My Lords, there was much mention at the conference, given the statements that came out of it, of a rejection of external interference, but there were people there who are externally interfering, such as the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Although the focus on humanitarian access is absolutely right, there is also the problem of gold, and that the conflict is being fuelled by the economic element of ownership and extraction of gold. Do the Government have any plans to approach the economic benefits to the warring parties as a way of stopping the conflict?

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Bishop of Leeds, Bishop of St Albans, and Bishop of Winchester ask about conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Bishop of Leeds, the Bishop of St Albans, and the Bishop of Winchester received the following written answers on 12th April 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Leeds asked His Majesty’s Government:

  • what military support they are providing to the government of Rwanda for (1) training, (2) technology, (3) tactics, and (4) weapons licensing, and whether they have reviewed these arrangements following the support by the government of Rwanda for M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • what financial support, debt relief and development assistance they are providing to Rwanda, and what steps they will take to review these arrangements as a result of the support by the government of Rwanda for M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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