Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the proposed settlement at Givat Hamatos.

We consistently call for an immediate end to all actions that undermine the viability of the two-state solution, including settlement expansion within the West Bank. Both the Foreign Secretary and the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa made clear our opposition to settlement advancement in the sensitive location of Givat HaMatos on 21 January. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised construction in Givat HaMatos with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 18 January and urged the Government of Israel not to proceed. The British Embassy Tel Aviv also urged the Israeli Authorities to cease the construction process in a meeting alongside European counterparts on 19 January. The UK's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. Settlement expansion is also a counterproductive move in light of the positive developments of normalisation agreements reached between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. We call on Israel to halt settlement expansion immediately.