Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel has (1) prevented Palestinian farmers from reaching their land, and (2) subsequently used the lack of use of such land as evidence that the land has been abandoned and can be used to expand settlements; and what steps they are taking, if any, to support those affected.

We are seriously concerned by the continued expropriation of land by Israel in the West Bank, including notably for settlement expansion. We regularly call on Israel to halt such counterproductive activity and instead urgently commit to creating a better environment for a just and lasting peace. Settlements are illegal under international law and undermine the physical viability of the two-state solution. We continue to call on Israel to improve Palestinians' route to securing building permissions for homes and infrastructure, including agriculture and farming, in Area C.