I very much welcome the Foreign Secretary’s recent statement regarding the restriction of trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as well as the clarification of the Government’s view that the current occupation of Palestinian land by Israel is illegal.
This statement is long overdue, and more decisive action should have been taken earlier on to save lives and maintain the territorial integrity of the Palestinian state.
However, there are still clear concerns over the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and it is not evident that these new measures will have an immediate impact to stop the expansion of illegal settlements.
While these new measures are welcome, the Foreign Secretary must continue to push for increased aid to alleviate humanitarian suffering, full commitment to the terms of the ceasefire agreement reached last year, and access for independent observers to Gaza to assess potential war crimes and the scale of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Alongside this, the Government must continue to support viable Palestinian self-governance through the Palestinian Authority and ensure that it can provide effective services and support to the Palestinian people.
I look forward to seeing further action taken by this Government to support a pathway towards full Palestinian statehood and a sustainable, peaceful political settlement.