To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on allegations of human rights abuses committed during Operation Cast Lead. (315913)

From the outset we have called for the very serious allegations around the Gaza conflict to be properly and independently investigated by both sides, including individual incidents and wider operational choices. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made this clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu ahead of the UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Gaza. Most recently, I raised it in my meeting, on 9 February 2010, with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon.