Written question asked by Baroness Tonge (Non-affiliated) on Monday, 11 January 2021, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 25 January 2021. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Monday, 25 January 2021 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Israel: Palestinians

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by B'Tselem on 1 January 2020 that "in 2019, Israeli security forces killed 133 Palestinians, including 28 minors"; and what steps they have taken in response to that statement.

Answer: The Government is very concerned at the high numbers of Palestinians, including children, killed by Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza. We regularly raise the issue with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire had been appropriate. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.

Secondary information