Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department have taken to (a) support and (b) protect Christians in the (i) Gaza Strip and (ii) West Bank.

The UK is actively monitoring the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and engaging closely with Israelis, Palestinians, and partners across the region. We are a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and call for places of worship to be respected. Israel must ensure those responsible for attacks on Christians are held to account. Israel has made clear its commitment to freedom of religion. We encourage the Israeli Government to do all it can to uphold the values of equality for all enshrined in its laws. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise issues of religious freedom with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority. We continue to call on all sides to uphold the historic Status Quo in Jerusalem, recognising the custodianship of Jordan over the Holy sites. The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu on 12 October, he reassured him that the UK will provide whatever support they need to end the current violence as quickly as possible.