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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of (a) the extent of demolition and destruction of infrastructure in (i) the West Bank and (ii) the Gaza Strip in 2003 and (b) the cost of repair to housing and infrastructure due to damage associated with actions by the Israeli Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement. [134429] Mr. MacShane: Various agencies, including the World bank and United Nations, do maintain audits of destruction and damage to Palestinian infrastructure resulting from Israel Defence Forces (IDF) action. The Office of the Special Co-ordinator in the Occupied Territories (UNSCO) estimates that 2,986 Palestinian homes have been destroyed, and 29,197 homes partially destroyed or damaged, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip between October 2000 and August 2003. These figures do not take into account the demolition or destruction of other civil and private Palestinian property, or infrastructure, including water supplies, roads and cultivated land. Reliable figures for this year are not yet available. It is also difficult to give an accurate figure for the total cost of repair to Palestinian infrastructure. Reports by these agencies and other NGOs indicate widespread damage and destruction to Palestinian infrastructure throughout the Occupied Territories. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 29 October 2003, Official Report, column 282W. We have raised our serious concerns with the Government of Israel and will continue to do so.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

134429; 412 c365W;412 c373W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Costs Armed conflict Demolition Infrastructure Repairs and maintenance Israel West Bank Middle East Gaza Occupied territories

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk