Labour MP Dr Zubir Ahmed has welcomed the Government's new £88 million humanitarian package for Palestinians while urging ministers to use Britain's political leverage to ensure aid can enter Gaza without obstruction.
The Glasgow South West MP praised Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's role at the United Nations General Assembly, where the UK, Jordan and Qatar convened international partners to focus on humanitarian access, healthcare and Gaza's recovery.
Ahmed said:
"Our Foreign Secretary, @Ed\_Miliband is leading the world's humanitarian efforts on Gaza from the front."
He added:
"The £88m commitment is a welcome step, but we must use every ounce of our political leverage to ensure aid actually reaches people in Gaza."
£88m for healthcare, water and sanitation
The Government says the £88 million package will support humanitarian and early recovery work in Gaza and the West Bank, including healthcare, clean water, sanitation, waste management and protection services.
UK-funded programmes are expected to provide up to 900,000 medical consultations, rehabilitation and prosthetic treatment for 1,000 children with blast injuries, safe water for 150,000 people, mental-health support for 21,000 people, and waste-management services for up to 900,000 people.
The £88 million figure represents the UK's humanitarian and early-recovery commitment for Palestinians in the current financial year, within a wider £127 million bilateral aid allocation for Palestine in 2026-27.
Miliband calls for 'unhindered access'
Announcing the package, Miliband said:
"It is vital that civilians in Gaza have unhindered access to aid."
He called on the Israeli government to remove restrictions impeding humanitarian assistance.
The UK joined Australia, Denmark, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in a formal Call to Action on Humanitarian Access and Health in Gaza, demanding rapid and unimpeded access through all available crossings and land routes.
The statement also calls for fewer delays and bureaucratic restrictions, greater crossing capacity and the predictable operation of humanitarian corridors from Egypt and Jordan.
Ahmed wants stronger pressure over obstruction
Ahmed's intervention goes beyond welcoming the funding itself.
His argument is that pledging money will have limited impact unless humanitarian organisations can reliably deliver assistance to civilians inside Gaza.
The UK-backed international statement says aid should be delivered without interference through the UN, the Red Crescent and other impartial humanitarian organisations, and describes UNRWA as an indispensable provider of essential services.
Wider shift in UK policy
The announcement follows the Burnham Government's recent reset of UK policy on Israel and Palestine.
At the UN this week, Burnham said too little humanitarian assistance was entering Gaza and argued that the scale of civilian suffering could not be justified by Israel's response to Hamas's 7 October attacks. He also reiterated British support for a two-state solution.
Miliband separately told UN partners that he was both appalled by Hamas's attacks and by the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
From funding to delivery
The immediate challenge is therefore implementation.
Ahmed's message is that the £88 million commitment matters, but the measure of success will be whether food, water, healthcare and other essential support actually reach people in Gaza - and whether Britain is prepared to use diplomatic pressure when access is blocked.
