Two British nationals still held hostage amid Middle East conflict, Cameron confirms

Two UK nationals remain hostage amid the conflict in the Middle East, the foreign secretary has confirmed to a parliamentary committee.

David Cameron confirmed the figure during his first appearance before MPs on the Foreign Affairs Committee since returning to Cabinet, stating:”There are two British nationals who remain as hostages. I don’t want to make any further comment on them.”

Asked if it is known whether the two people are still alive, the foreign secretary said: “I just don’t want to say any more. We don’t have any information to share with you.”

At one point, after repeatedly telling chairwoman Alicia Kearns chair he was not a lawyer Cameron also admitted he is “worried” that Israel might have taken action in Gaza that might be in breach of international law.

Saying it was not his job to make a “legal adjudication” Cameron added: “Am I worried that Israel has taken action that might be in breach of international law, because this particular premises has been bombed, or whatever? Yes, of course.”

But the minister declined to be drawn on whether the deprivation of water to the civilian population breached international humanitarian law, but said: “It is just something they ought to do, in my view.”

Cameron, and Sir Philip Barton, parliamentary under secretary in the foreign office who sat beside him in the committee, struggled to answer when subsequently asked how many British hostages had been returned to the UK.

‘I don’t have the figures,’ he said.

Cameron later added no British hostages had been brought back to the UK, although some who are ‘deeply connected’ to Britain had been released.

He added: “One of the things I did when I got into the department was to make sure we’re saying ‘yes, of course we must make sure we’re doing everything for British nationals’.

“But there are people who have been taken hostage who are deeply connected – sister of, brother of, son of – and we must do everything we can for them.

“I think when you get into that category, there are people who are connected to British citizens who have been released.”

An estimated 240 people were taken prisoner in Gaza after Hamas’s 7 October attacks against Israel. During a ceasefire in November 105 were released.

He had seen figures showing that Hamas’ ability to launch rockets into Israel has been “considerably degraded” since the Israeli bombardment.

Cameron also said he had seen figures that Hamas has “lost over 50% of their capability and capacity in terms of being able to launch rockets and all the rest of it”.

Tory MP Bob Seely asked him whether Foreign Office lawyers have advised that Israel is vulnerable to challenge from the Hague.

Mr Seely asked whether “reading between the lines” lawyers are saying that the Israelis are “vulnerable to a challenge from the Hague court and from elsewhere that in some of the things they are doing in potentially in relation to proportionality, there is a vulnerability.”

“It’s close to that,” Cameron replied.

At the beginning of his committee appearance, Cameron admitted it was “shock” when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asked him to come back to Cabinet in November.

He said it was “the chance to serve” that motivated his political comeback.