Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they plan to offer to the United Nations Deputy Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, James Rawley, who has called on the government of Israel to end house demolitions immediately.

The Government has repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in the practice of demolishing Palestinian structures built without permits in Area C of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinians face severe difficulty in securing building permissions for homes and infrastructure in East Jerusalem and Area C under the Israeli planning and permitting regime. We have also set out our deep concern regarding the reintroduction of punitive demolitions.