§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What consequences will follow if Israel disregards the request to withdraw from Palestinian towns and villages made by the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia at their Madrid meeting. [HL3766]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos)The international community has made clear that Israel should withdraw from Palestinian cities, both at the Quartet meeting on 10 April, and in UN Security Council Resolution 1402 adopted on 30 March. It would not be helpful to speculate on the consequences of a failure by Israel to withdraw fully. But recent Israeli actions can only be harmful to Israel's reputation abroad. Its partial withdrawal to date should be completed immediately. Both sides must step back from the brink. We welcome US diplomatic efforts to secure a full withdrawal and to resume negotiations on a political settlement, and we stand ready to help in whatever way we can.