Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is giving to Palestinians displaced by Israeli settlement building and the demolition of Palestinian homes.

Rory Stewart

The UK remains extremely concerned about continued Israeli settlement expansion and the large increase in demolitions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since the start of 2016, compared to the monthly average in 2015. We continue to raise these issues with the Israeli authorities. Demolitions and the evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering, are harmful to the peace process, and in all but the most exceptional of cases are contrary to international humanitarian law.

The UK supports Palestinians facing demolition or eviction and displacement by funding a legal aid programme to help individuals and communities challenge these decisions in the Israeli legal system.