Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of changes in the levels of violence against civilians in the West Bank this year.

The security situation in the West Bank is deteriorating and further escalation must be avoided. The UK unequivocally condemns terror attacks against civilians, and strongly support's Israel's right to self-defence. The Foreign Secretary discussed the recent violence in the West Bank in and urged the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh to tackle terror and incitement on 5 July. When conducting military operations, Israeli armed forces' conduct must also always be in line with international humanitarian law, including the principles of proportionality, distinction and necessity, and they must prioritise the protection of civilians when defending their legitimate security interest. On 5 July, the Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, where he urged the Government of Israel to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians.