Foreign Affairs Committee to hold two sessions on Israeli-Palestinian conflict
In the first of two evidence sessions this week on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Foreign Affairs Committee will hear from witnesses including Dr Sharone Lifschitz, whose parents who were taken hostage in October 2023, and Husam Zomlot, Head of the Palestine Mission to the United Kingdom.
Meeting details
In the first panel, the Committee will explore how to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians, aiming to hear a range of viewpoints. Expert witnesses, both Israeli and Palestinian, will appear. Questions in this panel will be wide-ranging but are likely to focus on how a ceasefire might be arranged in Gaza and how a two-state solution may be achieved in the longer term.
Husam Zomlot, Head of the Palestine Mission to the United Kingdom, will give evidence in the second panel. In this panel Members will focus on the standpoint of the Palestinian Authority and consider policy options for the UK Government in seeking a ceasefire and sustainable peace. Topics likely to be covered in this panel include the Palestine Mission’s mission statement; the two-state solution; the hostages being held in Gaza; and Israeli settler violence.
Dr Sharone Lifschitz is a British-Israeli filmmaker and campaigner whose parents were taken hostage during the October 2023 Hamas terrorist attack against Israel. While Dr Lifschitz’ mother has been released, her father is still held captive in Gaza. In the third panel of the day, Dr Lifschitz will appear alongside Adam Wagner and Adam Rose, lawyers who have been working together to represent pro bono the families of British and British-linked hostages in Gaza. Questions in this panel will focus on the hostages. The Committee is likely to cover the experiences of hostages’ families since 7 October 2023, and ways in which the UK Government may be able to help to secure their release.