Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Palestinians living in Sheikh Jarrah are being evicted by the government of Israel; and what steps they are taking in response to any such assessment.

We are seriously concerned by increasing rates of evictions and demolition of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances they are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised our concern about demolition of Palestinian property, and eviction of Palestinians from their homes, with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 29 October, and the British Embassy in Tel Aviv raises this issue regularly with the Israeli authorities. On 25 November, the UK Consul General Jerusalem visited families at risk of eviction in Sheikh Jarrah, restating UK opposition to evictions of Palestinians from their homes. The UK is focused on preventing demolitions and evictions from happening in the first place through our legal aid programme, which supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or home eviction in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.