Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Israeli Defence Force’s reported use of the ‘Dahiya Doctrine’, the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; and of whether it is compatible with international humanitarian law.

Our International Humanitarian Law (IHL) assessments consider Israel's commitment to and compliance with IHL in a number of areas including compliance with the principle of distinction in the conduct of hostilities. We take any allegations of deliberate or indiscriminate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure very seriously. In the context of Gaza, it is also understood that Hamas has extensively embedded its military assets in Gaza's densely built environment, including civilian buildings.