The SNP's Mhairi Black was slapped down by Rishi Sunak after demanding the Prime Minister call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Sunak dismantled the MP's argument after she quoted UN representatives, who warned that hospitals in Gaza "have just 48 hours of fuel left to keep their electricity going".
The PM said he himself had discussed the issue yesterday at the United Nations, instead calling for a "safer environment" to allow aid to get in, something he said is "distinct from a ceasefire".
Sunak reminded the SNP that Israel "has the right to protect itself" in the wake of the attacks from Hamas, something he said is "made clear" by the UN Charter.Addressing the House of Commons at PMQs, Black said: "Yesterday, the UN warned that hospitals in Gaza had just 48 hours of fuel left to keep their electricity going. That was 28 hours ago.
"The electricity runs out tonight. Now we have a humane responsibility to all the people in Gaza - but we have a particular responsibility for UK citizens, some of whom are in those hospitals with no food, no water, no medicine, and no way out.
So I want to ask the Prime Minister how much worse does the saturation have to get before they will join us in calls for a humanitarian ceasefire?"
Responding, Sunak said: "From the start with that, the first and most important principle is that Israel has the right to defend itself under international law.
"Our support for that position is absolute and unchanged. But from the start, we have also said that we do want British nationals to be able to leave Gaza and that we want hostages to be released and for humanitarian aid to get in and we recognize for all of that to happen, there has to be a safer environment, which of course, necessitates specific poses, as distinct from a ceasefire, and we discussed this with partners yesterday evening at the United Nations.
"And we have also been consistently clear that everything must be done to protect civilians in line with international law, and continue getting more aid flowing into Gaza."
Pressing him on the issue, Black added: "The growing calls for a ceasefire is also about calming the situation and in the broader region, especially in the West bank.
"UNICEF has reported over 2,000 fatalities and over 5,000 injured children since the conflict began due to unrelenting attacks. If we ignore this we rescue pouring petrol on a fire and a place that only requires a spark to ignite. Can the Prime Minister understand that joining calls for a ceasefire is no the best and maybe the only way to stop this conflict escalating beyond control?"
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Sunak dismantled the MP's argument after she quoted UN representatives, who warned that hospitals in Gaza "have just 48 hours of fuel left to keep their electricity going"
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Sunak responded: "We do have to remember that Israel has suffered shockingly. Hamas is responsible for this conflict and it has the right to protect itself in line with international law, as the UN Charter makes clear.
"We will continue to urge the Israelis to follow international law, whilst we also have to remember that Hamas cruelly embeds itself in civilian populations.
"But we are doing everything we can to get aid into the region."
