Asked by: Lord Warner (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Palestinians who are (1) under, and (2) over 18 have been (a) killed, and (b) injured in the 44 weeks of Friday protests; and how many Israelis have been (i) killed, and (ii) injured in the same period.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Whilst we do not hold this specific information, the recent deaths on both sides of the conflict reflect the need for progress to end the cycle of violence.
Asked by: Lord Warner (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they have received in the past 12 months about the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli Defence Force in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and what assessment they have made of the case for referring the government of Israel to the International Criminal Court.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received a number of parliamentary questions from members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, letters from Members of Parliament on behalf of their constituents, and letters and emails from members of the public on the issue of the alleged disproportionate use of force by the Israeli Defence Forces.
The International Criminal Court Prosecutor has been conducting a Preliminary Examination into the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since 2015 and on 8 April released a statement saying that, “any new alleged crime committed in the context of the situation in Palestine may be subjected to my Office’s scrutiny”. The Government respects the Prosecutor’s independence in this matter.
Asked by: Lord Warner (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they maintain a record of (1) new settlements, and (2) demolitions, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; if so, how many such events have been recorded in each of the past three years; and what representations about those incidents, if any, they have made to the government of Israel in the past 12 months.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office monitors both settlements and demolitions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, based on official Israeli, UN and EU figures, as well as those of a range of non-governmental organisations.
The settlement picture and relevant metrics are complex. These include settlement unit advancements at various stages in different planning processes, as well as the construction and establishment of both new settlements and settlement outposts. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics in 2015 there were 1,962 new construction starts in settlements, in 2016 there were 3,069, and in 2017 there were 1,626. No data is currently available for 2018.
According to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, an average of 35 Palestinian structures each month were targeted for demolition by the Israeli authorities between January and May this year. In 2017, 35 structures per month were targeted; in 2016, 91 per month, and in 2015, 47 per month.
We regularly make representations to the Israeli authorities about both settlements and demolitions. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised our concerns about new settlement announcements and demolitions with the Israeli authorities during his visit to Israel on 30-31 May. The Foreign Secretary also raised the proposed demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 6 June.
Asked by: Lord Warner (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they maintain a record of allegations of war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and if so, how they use this information.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not maintain a record of alleged war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Asked by: Lord Warner (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Fairhead on 14 November (HL2772), whether they have had discussions with the governments of (1) Saudi Arabia, (2) United Arab Emirates, and (3) Bahrain, about the specific individual breaches of human rights identified by the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar; and what assessment they have made of the seriousness of those breaches.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
While we have not raised these specific issues we call upon the Gulf States to find a way of de-escalating the situation and lifting the current restrictions, which are having an impact on the everyday lives of people in the region. The UK encourages all countries to uphold international human rights obligations and work with those determined to reform. Our embassies maintain regular dialogue with officials and leaders on a range of topics, including human rights issues.
Asked by: Lord Warner (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports they have received, if any, concerning the detention by the Israeli Defence Force of the son, Abdal Khaliq, and friends of Iyad Burnat, a Palestinian farmer and activist; what discussions they have held with the government of Israel concerning the fate of those detainees; and whether they will seek assurances from the government of Israel that the reported actions were not the result of Iyad Burnat's meeting with UK parliamentarians.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We have not received any reports relating to this issue and as such we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities.
Asked by: Lord Warner (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates can be imprisoned or fined for expressing sympathy for Qatar.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are aware of the reports and have updated our Travel Advice accordingly. We call on all sides to take steps to de-escalate the situation and unite the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Asked by: Lord Warner (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment hey have made of reports that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have committed human rights violations in respect of Qatari citizens living or working in their countries, and in respect of their own citizens living or working in Qatar.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We understand that the current restrictions are having an impact on the everyday lives of people in the region. We call upon our Gulf friends to encourage de-escalation, lift restrictions, and get firmly behind Kuwait's mediation efforts.