Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral statement on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 23 March 2023, Official Report, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the impact of unilateral action by that country on the potential for peace talks.

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 disappointed with the recent repeal of the 2005 Disengagement Plan Implementation Law by the Israeli Knesset. The Foreign Secretary met Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on 21 March, and in his phone calls with him on 10 January and 7 March, he also emphasised the need for de-escalation and the need for both sides to refrain from unilateral actions that make it harder to secure a sustainable and just peace based on a two-state solution.