Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she has made to her Israeli counterparts on reducing bureaucratic procedures around the import of construction materials into Gaza.

The UK government has consistently called on the Government of Israel to ease movement and access restrictions into and out of Gaza, including in a recent visit by the Minister of State for International Development. DFID officials also raised the issue of import restrictions on construction materials into Gaza with Israeli counterparts at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) in September this year. The UK welcomed the June 2015 agreement between the Israeli and the Palestinian authorities on the Residential Stream of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM), to allow imports of building materials into Gaza for the reconstruction of homes that were completely destroyed. Whilst this is a step in the right direction, we will continue to push for a durable solution in Gaza that will; address Israel’s legitimate security concerns, allow the opening up of movement and access and support the return of the Palestinian Authority.