Conservative Minister James Cleverly has praised the continued co-operation between the Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the battle against coronavirus - but has told the House of Commons that the UK government would not support any planned annexation of the West Bank.

The Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa told the Commons on Monday he "welcomes'' the fact that ''UN Agencies, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority are working together to ensure that essential medical supplies and staff reach the most vulnerable areas - including Gaza."

Asked to comment on praise by the United Nations Special Co-ordinator on the way Israel and Palestinians were working together to fight the virus, Mr Cleverly said it showed ''a pattern of cooperation that should be replicated and is a step towards building trust to a sustainable peaceful solution to the situation.'' 

Israel has approved a £210 million loan to the Palestinian Authority and supplied equipment to help fight the virus in the West Bank.

But responding to a question from Labour's new Shadow Middle East Minister Wayne David about what steps his government was taking to ''mobilise international opinion'' against planned ''illegal' annexation of parts of the West Bank, Mr Cleverly said: "The UK government has expressed both publicly and indeed to the government of Israel its concerns about reports of annexation which we have consistently said we oppose - and which could be detrimental to a two state solution."

Speaking during Foreign and Commonwealth Oral Questions, the MP for Braintree added that the UK was "deeply concerned" about the new Israeli coalition government’s plans, which he said were '' contradictory to international law.'' 

Mr Cleverly added that the UK had ''made clear our concern'' over possible annexation to the United Nations at a meeting held remotely on April 23.

Asked by the Scottish Nationalist Party's Tommy Sheppard if the UK would consider such a move by the Israeli government "illegal under international law", Mr Cleverly said: "Our longstanding position is such a move would be contrary to international law." 

He accepted that failure to oppose annexation ''could make a sustainable two-state solution harder.”