Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports of the use of (1) force, and (2) firearms, by Israel Defence Force soldiers on Palestinians seeking to prevent the confiscation of property.

We are concerned by Israeli confiscations of Palestinian homes and structures. The practice of confiscations causes unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and is harmful to the peace process. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes. We also continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population and urge restraint in the use of live fire. In instances where there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we advocate transparent investigations.