The FCDO does not hold such records. However, we continue to monitor the situation in Western Sahara including through our engagements with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and our international partners.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development office have been informed of the deaths of 15 British nationals killed in the terrorist attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023.

The Foreign Secretary's thoughts are with the family of Binyamin Needham at this difficult time. Operationally the FCDO has not been approached for consular assistance, but our staff stand ready to support British nationals abroad 24/7. The safety and security of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority and we are doing everything we can to support them. More than 250 people registered with the FCDO, including British Nationals and their dependants, have so far left Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary's thoughts are with the family of Binyamin Needham at this difficult time. Operationally the FCDO has not been approached for consular assistance, but our staff stand ready to support British nationals abroad 24/7. The safety and security of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority and we are doing everything we can to support them. More than 250 people registered with the FCDO, including British Nationals and their dependants, have so far left Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 23 November, where he met President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and other senior Israeli officials, to discuss the conflict and the future. The Foreign Secretary expressed concerns that there will be no long-term safety, security and stability for Israel unless there is long term safety, security and stability for the Palestinian people, particularly children. The UK government is concerned about the shocking impact of the conflict on children in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and UK humanitarian aid will ensure the specific needs of children are met, including the specific needs of girls. As reiterated by the Prime Minister at COP28 in December 2023, we continually are making it clear that Israel must take maximum care to protect civilian life, especially young lives.

The UK Government has not made an official estimate of the number of Hamas terrorists killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023. We continue to engage closely with the Government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and international and regional partners on the conflict.

There have been significant casualties in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), since 7 October 2023 eight Palestinians have been killed and at least 73 injured by settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. As the Foreign Secretary said on 24 November, violence by settlers in the occupied West Bank is completely unacceptable and the UK calls on Israel to hold those responsible to account.

The UK Government has not made an official estimate of the number of Hamas terrorists killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023. We continue to engage closely with the Government of Israel on the conflict.

We have no means of independently verifying exact casualty numbers, and it is difficult for organisations like the UN to accurately verify estimates in Gaza. We recognise that there have been significant civilian casualties. We have been consistently clear that all sides must make all possible efforts to protect civilians and must abide by their international obligations and respect International Humanitarian Law. The UK is continuously assessing needs and advocating for access routes to be established into Gaza, sufficient levels of humanitarian assistance to flow into Gaza and calling for humanitarian pauses to allow aid to be safely distributed within Gaza. The UK Government has already announced £30 million in humanitarian funding and has sent more than 51 tonnes of emergency relief for civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Since the beginning of the conflict and as of 22 October, 1,400 Israelis are reported killed and 4,941 wounded. 4,651 Palestinians are reported killed in Gaza and 91 in the West Bank. 14,245 are reported wounded in Gaza and 1,734 in the West Bank. More than 1,000 people have been reported missing and are presumed to be trapped or dead under the rubble. An estimated 1.4 million people in Gaza have been displaced, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Any civilian death is a tragedy. Since the Hamas terrorist attacks on 7 October, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have spoken to counterparts from almost 20 countries, as part of extensive diplomatic efforts to sustain the prospect of peace and stability in the Middle East. We will continue to use all the tools of British diplomacy to sustain the prospects of peace and stability in the region.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The UK regularly engages with leaders of Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), including during the recent visit of the Security Minister, Tom Tughendhat in August. Following the recent incident in Kirkuk the British Embassy in Iraq has met a range of Iraqi counterparts and continues to encourage cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve outstanding issues. The UK supports all efforts to ensure a secure, stable, and thriving KRI exists within a peaceful and prosperous Iraq.

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) is constitutionally distinct and separate from the UK and is administered by the BIOT Administration. The FCDO does not hold records of the number of deaths recorded in the Territory.

The UK Government was deeply saddened by the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh last year and the Foreign Secretary once again extends his sympathies to her family. The Foreign Secretary has not personally discussed this matter with the Government of Israel, but officials from British Embassy Tel Aviv made clear the need for a thorough investigation. The UK Government's position is still that there must be a thorough and transparent investigation. The work of journalists across the globe is vital, and they must be protected from harm in the course of their duties.

We frequently raise the issue of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities. We encourage them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We will continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire. The Foreign Secretary has made this clear to Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen during a phone call on 7 March.

The UK Government continues to closely monitor developments in northern Syria and recognises the loss and injury to innocent victims. While we do not have authoritative estimates of casualties, we engage directly with partners to encourage restraint from activity that could lead to further destabilisation or civilian loss of life. Security and stability in the region are necessary to prevent worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria - including in the wake of the 6 February earthquake - and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh.

We have called upon the Government of Israel to fully respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of human rights defenders and organisations and to allow them to freely operate in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories. We regularly raise the issue of the high numbers of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities. We encourage them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We will continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population and urge restraint in the use of live fire. The UK remains committed to a two-state solution, as the Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, made clear during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 10-13 January.

The UK is clear that further improvements are needed in the Palestinian security sector. We regularly raise concerns about the handling of complaints of mistreatment, arbitrary detention or human rights abuses at the highest levels of the Palestinian Authority, including the failure to deliver a transparent investigation and accountability following the death in custody of Nizar Banat.

We welcome the steps Qatar has taken on workers' rights. The priority is now full implementation and enforcement of those reforms. The UK Migration and Modern Slavery Envoy visited Doha on 9 October to discuss how the UK can partner with Qatar and the International Labour Organisation to support progress. The Foreign Secretary raised LGBT+ concerns ahead of and during his recent visit to Qatar. We welcome Qatar's establishment of the Doha International Centre for Interfaith Dialogue which hosts an annual interfaith dialogue. We will continue to encourage equal treatment and the respect of individual rights including LGBT+ and the freedom of religion or belief for all.

We are aware of and continue to monitor reports of violence in Brazil. The UK is clear about our position on the importance of accountable democratic institutions, the rule of law and the safeguarding of human rights. We continue to raise the importance of adherence to the respecting of human rights in the carrying out of security operations when engaging with the Brazilian Government, political parties and civil society organisations.