Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make representations to the government of Israel about encroachments into the land of the occupied West Bank, for example around the illegal settlements of Adi Ad and Ahiya, and about the impact on the people of Gaza.

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. We are also clear that Israeli outposts in the West Bank, illegal under international law and Israeli law, should be removed entirely. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa issued a statement on 7 February 2018 strongly condemning the Israeli Government's decision to establish a second new settlement in the West Bank in less than a year, which could involve the retroactive "legalisation" of the outpost of Havat Gilad.

We are not aware of any significant impact on the people of Gaza from the construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank.