§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Israeli policy of house demolition in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. [53455]
§ Mr. FatchettHouse demolitions are a serious abuse of human rights wherever they occur. We and the EU carefully monitor Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes and report these in a quarterly EU "Jerusalem Watch".
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Palestinian houses in the occupied Palestinian territories have been demolished since the Oslo Accords of 1993. [53456]
§ Mr. FatchettEstimates vary between 671 (discounting demolitions of temporary dwellings; figures from a local NGO) and 2,004 (including temporary dwellings; figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government). These figures include demolitions in East Jerusalem.
§ Dr. StarkeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Government of Israel on the demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank and Jerusalem. [53457]
§ Mr. FatchettWe have made it clear to the Israeli Government on many occasions that we condemn any attempt to change the demographic balance of Jerusalem in advance of final status talks.