Politics
Tories accuse government of refusing to recognise volume of aid entering Gaza
Shadow foreign secretary says government is failing to recognise that Israel and US are meeting aid requirements of Trump’s Peace Plan
December 9, 2025 12:47
Shadow foreign secretary says government is failing to recognise that Israel and US are meeting aid requirements of Trump’s Peace Plan
December 9, 2025 12:47The Conservatives have accused the government of failing to recognise the volume of aid that Israeli and US-led units are trucking into Gaza.
In a response to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper’s recent statement that the level of aid was “not sufficient”, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel has hit back stating that 4,200 trucks a week were entering in accordance with the 20-point Peace Plan, a fact that the government has failed to “acknowledge and welcome”.
In a December 3 letter to Cooper and Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer, Patel referenced two Westminster debates in which the government was asked about the work of the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) and Israel’s Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories (Cogat) in facilitating aid to Gaza.
The letter said that the government had been invited – but refused – to recognise the fact that the two bodies were getting 4,200 trucks a week into Gaza.
It went on: “Can you therefore confirm that you recognise the work underway to get this level of humanitarian assistance and aid in, which is in accordance with the 20-Point Peace Plan?
"Do you accept that 4,200 trucks per week are getting in to Gaza, as you did not do so when questioned on this? Do you recognise that the majority of aid entering Gaza comes from sources other than the UN?”
Patel continued: “Do you also have any plans to visit the CMCC and meet with them and with Cogat? I have met with them and you would find holding direct discussions with them constructive and informative, especially given the winterisation work underway.”
During Foreign Office questions on December 2, Cooper was pressed about aid going into Gaza by shadow minister Wendy Morton.
The foreign secretary said that while the volume of aid going into Gaza had increased since the October ceasefire, it was not enough.
Cooper told the Commons: “That is why it is crucial that all the crossings be opened. The Jordanian crossing is still closed, as are too many of the other crossings. It is immensely important that those crossings be opened and the restrictions be lifted.”
In her letter, however, Patel criticised Cooper for failing to emphatically spell out that the Allenby Bridge crossing from Jordan “was closed after a Jordanian truck driver attacked and killed two IDF soldiers at the crossing” in an act of terrorism.
She continued: “This fact was not referenced in your comments publicly and it is an important fact in relation to the context and decisions that are being taken. Can you therefore confirm what discussions you have had with your Israeli and Jordanian counterparts about this incident and what proposals have you put forward to support the reopening of crossings safely and securely?”
The shadow foreign secretary also demanded greater transparency from the government and urged Cooper to provide a “full breakdown of all UK funded aid and assistance items since 5 July 2024” going into Gaza.
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