Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of (1) the number of civilian deaths, and (2) the amount of damage to civilian structures, in Gaza caused by bombing by the Israel Defence Force in 2020 to date.

We are very concerned at the numbers of Palestinians killed by Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza. We have raised the issue with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire had been appropriate. We have also stressed the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. Any attacks targeted against civilians are unlawful and unjustifiable. While Israel has a legitimate right to self-defence, it is vital that all its actions are proportionate, in line with International Humanitarian Law, and are calibrated to avoid civilian casualties.