Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of allegations of sexual violence and assault perpetrated against (a) women in Palestine and (b) Palestinian women detained in Israeli prisons.

The UK unequivocally condemns all alleged violations and abuses, including sexual violence, and calls for all reports to be fully investigated to ensure justice for victims and survivors. We are deeply concerned by allegations of sexual violence against Palestinian detainees by Israeli forces. We believe it is critical that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is given regular access to detainees to carry out its independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Currently, the ICRC cannot fully investigate these reports, as Israel continues to deny it access to places of detention. The UK calls on all parties to the conflict to comply with international law and grant immediate and unfettered access for the ICRC.