PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Occupied Territories: Demolition (6 February 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the (a) number and (b) frequency of (i) demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures and (ii) forced displacement of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Asked by:
James Murray (Labour)

As we made clear in our statement at the UN Security Council on 21 January, we are deeply concerned by the increase in demolitions of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities. Demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; call into question Israel's commitment to a viable two-state solution; and, in all but the most exceptional of cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties in Area C of the West Bank and in East Jerusalem, most recently on 17 December 2019. We will continue to call for Israel to abandon demolition plans entirely, and instead provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C.

Answered by:
Mr James Cleverly (Conservative)
20 February 2020