Douglas Alexander MP, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, commenting on the situation in Gaza, said:

“Today’s talks with Israeli and Palestinian representatives in Cairo are a welcome and much needed step forward.

“The longest lull in fighting since the conflict began presents an opportunity that must now be seized to turn this temporary truce into a permanent ceasefire.

“Since the start of the fighting, it is a source of shame that the Prime Minister has so far failed to condemn the scale of Palestinian suffering as a result of the Israeli military incursion over recent weeks as indefensible and unjustifiable.

“Given that the Government’s approach to this crisis has been characterised by incoherence, misjudgement and division, the public needs assurance about the present implementation of Government policy, including with regard to UK arms export licences to Israel.

“Of course no new licences should be granted where there are doubts about the end use of the military equipment being exported and the Government must urgently publish its review into existing UK export licenses to Israel.

“The Government must provide assurances that the Consolidated Criteria on arms control is being upheld, which prevents the export of military and dual use equipment which could be used for internal repression, the abuse of human rights or to provoke or prolong armed conflicts.”