To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken in the light of their "serious concern" at the imminent destruction of the village of Susiya.
Answered on
9 June 2015
Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised these issues with the Head of Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories’ (COGAT) Civil Administration division.
We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes. We are providing £1.1 million of technical assistance to support Palestinian villages currently threatened with demolition action to meet the requirements of the Israeli planning system. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), raised the issue with National Security Advisor Yossi Cohen on 3 June.
In addition we continue to support Bedouin communities and Palestinians in Area C facing demolition or eviction through support to the Norwegian Refugee Council legal aid programme which helps individuals to challenge these decisions in the Israeli legal system.