British minister questions Israel’s commitment to two-state solution

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - Demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause “unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and call into question Israel's commitment to a viable two-state solution,” British Minister David Rutley said in response to a parliamentary question on Tuesday.

Rutley, who was appointed as a parliamentary undersecretary of the UK’s Foreign Office last October, said demolitions “by an occupying power” are also against international humanitarian law and urged Israel to reconsider forthcoming evictions.

“The UK’s position on settlements is clear: Settlements are illegal under international law,” he said.

In his question to Rutley, Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Paul Bristow asked: “In 2023, dozens of Palestinian children have been killed in Israeli military operations. Will the minister agree with me that we should never become immune to those deaths?”

Rutley accepted that Bristow had made an “important point” and added that “every one of those deaths is tragic,” noting that the Foreign Office had published a report which said that the occupied Palestinian territories were a “human rights priority” and the UK “will continue to oppose violations and abuse of international human rights or international humanitarian law by the government of Israel or the Palestinian Authority.”

Seven of the 14 listed questions were related to Israel, prompting the minister to attempt to answer many together during the discussion.

Rutley said the “accelerating cycle of violence” in the occupied West Bank is a cause of enormous concern, and the government is intensely focused on the situation.

Labour MP Imran Hussain recalled a speech he made in parliament seven years ago, in which he spoke about a 68-year-old woman being targeted by Israeli settlers.

“Yet despite international opposition, last week she was tragically dragged from her home of over seven decades. So can I ask the minister: if this case isn’t it, what is the government's red line? How many more Palestinian grandmothers must be forcibly evicted?” he said.

Rutley responded by saying that such actions contradict Israeli claims of wanting a solution to the problem.

Flick Drummond, a Conservative MP, said that over 12,000 new housing units and 10 new outposts have been built by Israel in the first half of 2023.

“The total number of settlers in the West Bank is now 750,000. This is contrary to international law and further displaces many Palestinian families as their houses and land are taken away. How will this help the peace process and what's the government doing to uphold international law?” Drummond said.

Rutley said the issue was laid out in the foreign secretary's trilateral statement with the foreign ministers of Australia and Canada on June 30.

“The continued expansion of settlements is an obstacle to peace and negatively impacts efforts to achieve a negotiated two-state solution,” he said.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns.

Nearly 195 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. At least 27 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.