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<p>It has long been the government's view that Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories is as an occupying power and therefore is governed by the provisions of
the Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a state party. We repeatedly call on Israel
to abide by its obligations under international law and we have a regular dialogue
with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. We stress the importance of
the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian
population. It is vital that Israeli security operations all actions are proportionate,
in line with international humanitarian law and calibrated to avoid civilian casualties.
The Foreign Secretary along with the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq)
Ahmad of Wimbledon frequently engages with Israelis and Palestinians on issues relating
to the occupation. The Foreign Secretary most recently spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister
Cohen on 26 June.</p>
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