PRESS RELEASE : UK statement in response to IDF military operation in the Occupied West Bank [August 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 August 2024.

Statement from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military operation in the Occupied West Bank.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said:

The UK is deeply concerned by the ongoing IDF military operation in the occupied West Bank.

We recognise Israel’s need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods Israel has employed and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

The risk of instability is serious and the need for de-escalation urgent. We continue to call on Israeli authorities to exercise restraint, adhere to international law, and clamp down on the actions of those who seek to inflame tensions. The UK strongly condemns settler violence and inciteful remarks such as those made by Israel’s National Security Minister Ben-Gvir, which threaten the status-quo of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.

It is in no one’s interest for further conflict and instability to spread in the West Bank.