Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Israel on the planned demolition of the Bedouin villages of Susiya and Um Al Hiran.

Mr Philip Hammond

Our Embassy in Tel Aviv has raised UK concerns with the Israeli Government on the issue of demolitions. Demolitions of Palestinian villages not only inflict unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, but are harmful to the peace process and in all but the most exceptional of cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. In regards to demolitions of Bedouin villages in green-line Israel such as Umm al-Hiran, any resolution should be consistent with Israel’s commitments under international law.