Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make representations to the Palestinian Authority about the reported use of imported concrete for non-peaceful purposes, particularly in the construction of tunnels from Gaza into Israel.

Imports into the Gaza Strip are controlled by Israel as occupying power, not the Palestinian Authority. Imports of construction materials, including concrete are currently only permitted for UN-led humanitarian projects with strict controls mitigating the risk of transfer of materials for use other than that intended. There remains a clear need for further legitimate construction work in Gaza, and we are confident in the measures put in place by the UN to avoid diversion of materials.