The announcement was made in the House of Commons with Foreign Minister David Lammy also announcing that he has commissioned a review into Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law.

The South Belfast and Mid Down MP stated:

"I have been calling for the UK Government to reinstate UNWRA funding for months. Today’s announcement to restore funding and provide £21m of additional money has been a long time coming and is a critical lifeline of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been suffering and on the verge of famine, bereft of basic humanitarian supplies for nearly a year now.

"The denial of funding to UNWRA for many months has compounded the catastrophic humanitarian situation. UNWRA’s infrastructure and capacity is crucial to meeting the basic everyday needs of innocent men, women and children. I urge the government to ensure that restored funding reaches UNWRA urgently so no more time is wasted in delivering aid. 

"The previous Government failed to restore funding long after its need and validity were clear, and they were weak on Israel's adherence to international law. We welcome the review by the Foreign Secretary and urge him to clarify the timescale for the completion of that review, to expediate its completion and to share its findings with Members of Parliament. We also call on the Labour government to immediately suspend arms sales, in line with UK law relating to the use of arms."