Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for the Middle East peace process of the emergence of (a) Palestinian Islamic Jihad and (b) Lions’ Den terror cells in the West Bank.

We continue to closely monitor the security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK has proscribed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) as a terrorist entity since March 2001. PIJ and other terrorist groups including the Lions' Den must cease all actions that are violent or provocative, or that put civilian lives at risk. There can be no justification for such acts of violence. Every Israeli and Palestinian has the right to live in peace and security. As the Foreign Secretary said in his 14 April statement, the UK will support all efforts to promote dialogue and create a pathway towards a sustainable peace.