Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Violence in the West Bank

Tuesday 12 December 2023 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government's position is that settlement building in the West Bank and Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal.
  • The Minister stated that if arrests are made for settler violence, prosecutions and imprisonment need to occur.
  • The Prime Minister discussed with Netanyahu recent comments condemning settler violence and urged for meaningful action to stop it.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rachel Hopkins Lab Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Foreign Affairs
Context

Calls for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and concerns about settlement building in the West Bank and Occupied Palestinian Territories continue.

Question

Does the Minister share my view that settlement building in the west bank and across the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unacceptable and unlawful and must stop immediately?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

Yes, the Government's position has been for many years that those settlements are illegal.

Answered
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Q2 Alex Cunningham Lab
Crime & Law Enforcement Ukraine Foreign Affairs
Context

Calls persist for the Government to take action against settlement building in the West Bank.

Question

The same question could be asked again: it is unlawful, but what are the Government going to do about it? Does the Minister think that one day we might actually see some prosecutions in relation to those violations of international law?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

On settler violence, if arrests are made, they need to be both prosecuted and imprisoned.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about prosecutions for settlement building violations was not directly addressed.

How: Refocused On Settler Violence

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Q3 Carol Monaghan SNP
Community Security
Context

Israeli Finance Minister's declaration of "2 million Nazis" in the West Bank.

Question

What representation is the Secretary of State making to Israeli counterparts to demand a far more robust response to this violence?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

The Prime Minister spoke with Netanyahu on 5 December, welcoming recent comments condemning settler violence and urging meaningful action to stop it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about representation was not fully detailed.

How: Provided A Summary Of The Pm'S Conversation

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Q4 David Lammy Lab Tottenham
Foreign Affairs
Context

Worries about a potential widening of the conflict involving West Bank violence and Israeli actions in Lebanon.

Question

What steps is the Foreign Secretary taking to prepare for further escalation and to deter all parties from full-blown regional war?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

The Prime Minister moved a British military asset to the eastern end of the Mediterranean early after 7 October, for surveillance and eyes-on support. Diplomatic efforts are devoted to preventing conflict widening.

Answered
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Q5 Alyn Smith
Foreign Affairs
Context

UK providing logistical and surveillance support to help recover hostages in Gaza.

Question

Has any evidence come to light that gives concern about the commission of war crimes in the west bank or in Gaza?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

Britain is providing overflight support for surveillance and hostage recovery, helping identify issues on the ground to ensure abidance with international humanitarian law.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about evidence of war crimes was not directly addressed.

How: Focused On Uk'S Operational Support

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Q6 Alyn Smith
Ukraine
Context

Concern about potential war crimes and cooperation with the ICC.

Question

Has any evidence come to light that gives concern about the commission of war crimes? Can the Minister assure us that any such evidence that comes to light will be sent over to the International Criminal Court in response to its call for evidence?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

Many organisations are seeking to identify what is happening on the ground, and any such evidence will be put before relevant authorities including courts like the ICC if available.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about a commitment was not directly addressed.

How: Acknowledged Efforts To Identify Issues But Did Not Commit

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