Baroness Tonge – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Tonge on 2016-05-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of video evidence of the killing of a wounded Palestinian in Hebron, what discussions they have had with EU partners concerning the accused soldier’s charge being reduced to manslaughter.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We have not raised this case with EU partners. We note that the Israeli Defence Forces have investigated and understand that trial proceedings started on Monday 9 May. The UK is deeply concerned by the terrible human cost, to both sides, of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We are concerned by the use of force by Israeli security personnel in response to protests and security incidents and we regularly raise these concerns with the Israeli government, stressing the need for proportionality and proper accountability. We make clear that every effort should be made to exclude the use of live fire.