I am very concerned by reports about the continuing detention of Palestinian political prisoners by the Israeli Government.

Recent days have seen a spate of arrests of elected Palestinian politicians.

We are also seeing the usual house demolitions and settlement expansions in the West Bank.

Responding yesterday to a Parliamentary Question I posed on the recent demolition of the homes of Bedouins in Anata (West Bank), Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt expressed his own concerns. 

He said that the 'demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank are illegal and deeply unhelpful to efforts to bring a lasting peace to the middle east conflict'.

He also said that the UK Government is worried about Israeli plans to move West Bank Bedouin communities.

It is now encouraging the Israeli Government to 'comply fully' with international law, and 'ensure that any decision reached on the movement of Bedouin communities should be made with their full consent and not result in a forcible transfer'.

The Minister confirmed that officials at the British embassy in Tel Aviv are monitoring the situation closely, and plan to raise the issue of Anata with the Israeli authorities.

More generally, I have written to the Foreign Secretary to urge him to make sure that his support for human rights and peace in the Middle East are backed up by strong action.

In particular, I want him to ensure that the EU-Israel Association Agreement is not upgraded until Israel stops violating international law.

I think it is unacceptable for EU funding to support Israeli companies or organisations operating in settlements or the Occupied Territories in defiance of international law - and hope the Government will support such a position.