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 the Hamas Government in Gaza on political stability in the region.

The UK remains very concerned about the situation in Gaza and any actions by Hamas which increase instability. We utterly condemn rocket fire from by Hamas and other militants in Gaza; Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live in safety and peace. Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. Hamas' military wing has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK since 2001 and the UK retains a policy of no contact with Hamas in its entirety. We regularly raise our concerns about the situation in Gaza with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority, pressing them on the need for a long-term strategy to improve economic and political conditions, and urging them to work together to see long-term improvements. We are supportive of Hamas-Fatah reconciliation attempts, and of the PA returning to resume government functions in Gaza, helping to improve the dire humanitarian and economic situation.