The conflict and violence in Israel and Palestine has already had severe human consequences, with thousands of lives lost. There is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Many hundreds of thousands of people have already been displaced. If, as seems likely, the conflict worsens, then that displacement will only deepen. The priority in any displacement situation is to try and make it safe for people not to have to leave their homes, or their own country. However, for those people who do cross borders, they need access to safety. While principally that is likely to occur in the countries bordering Israel and Palestine, other countries, including the UK, must be ready to play a role.
This briefing sets out some of the options that are available to the UK. They build on approaches taken by the UK Government to other conflicts of significant scale, such as those in Afghanistan and Ukraine. The proposals below are not set out in any order of priority, but together form a package of emergency measures that should be implemented at short notice.