Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Hamas rule in Gaza on regional stability.

The UK remains very concerned about the situation in Gaza and any actions by Hamas which increase instability. We utterly condemn rocket fire by Hamas and other militants in Gaza; Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live in safety and peace. We encourage the Palestinian Authority, Israel, regional and international actors to put forward long-term sustainable proposals, to resolve the threat posed to Israel’s security by Hamas, and see the Palestinian Authority’s return to government functions in Gaza. This will help to improve the dire humanitarian and economic situation in the region.