Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem in April 2023.

The Foreign Secretary has spoken to the Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on 8 April following the terrorist attacks in the Jordan Valley and Tel Aviv, and we discussed the wider security situation. The UK is committed to working with all parties to maintain calm, avoid provocation and uphold the status quo to ensure the safety and the security of the al-Aqsa Mosque and all who worship there. While we recognise Israel's legitimate need to deploy security measures, we encourage Israel to deploy these in a way which minimises tension and use of appropriate force. When there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we advocate for swift, transparent investigations.