A UK Parliamentary committee has raised concerns about the “savagery befalling civilians” in Gaza following a visit to the Sinai peninsula in Egypt.
Members of the International Development Committee have returned from a visit to Al-Arish in the Sinai desert – which is operating as a logistics hub for all aid including from the UK – expressing concern about the levels of “brutality and destruction”, with Israel's forces having killed around 30,000 Palestinians.
They have insisted the UK is not getting accurate information about the “true scale of the horror”.
It comes ahead of a key vote in the Commons on Wednesday on the crisis in the Middle East.
The committee heard concerns from multiple sources that Israel intends to press ahead with a full-scale offensive in Rafah, the area it had previously designated as the last "safe zone" in Gaza.
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Well over half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million are now sheltering in Rafah – which previously housed less than 300,000.
Committee members heard leaflets have been dropped telling civilians they have two weeks to leave.
Labour's Sarah Champion, chair of the committee, said listening to “seasoned humanitarians” had brought home “the savagery befalling civilians”.
She said: ““Nothing that has been reported braces you for the true scale of the horror in Gaza. We’re simply not getting accurate information about the levels of destruction and brutality.
“Listening to seasoned humanitarians tell us that what they’ve witnessed in Gaza makes it the worse disaster they've ever seen really brought home the savagery befalling civilians.
“Aid workers repeatedly questioned why international law wasn’t being followed or upheld in relation to civilians, humanitarians and medics.
“They also expressed a deep feeling of dread and inevitability of Israeli forces carrying out their threat to escalate the assault into Rafah. A senior aid worker described Rafah as water in the bottom of a glass with the pressure getting more and more intense.
“Politicians around the world need to demand an immediate end to the violence, full access for aid and a long-term strategy to rebuild Gaza; both its infrastructure and its society.”
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Champion added that unless something happens “to stabilise the situation”, the remaining UN support will withdraw, leaving Palestinians “utterly alone”.
Since October 7, the committee has held two evidence hearings in Parliament with aid agencies working on the ground in Gaza, hearing evidence of the desperate and deteriorating humanitarian and healthcare situation there.
The WHO estimates that less than one third of hospitals remain partially functioning and are often now staffed by volunteers.
On Wednesday, MPs will have the chance again to vote for an immediate ceasefire in the region.
The SNP have lodged a motion calling for an immediate ceasefire, accusing Israel of the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Labour have put forward an amendment to this motion also calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire but have opted to remove the reference to collective punishment.
The Tories have additionally lodged an amendment arguing for “Israel’s right to self-defence, in compliance with international humanitarian law” and have called for negotiations to create an “immediate humanitarian pause” between Israel and Hamas.
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