Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the potential recognition of a Palestinian state.

As we have made clear, recognition of a Palestinian state can’t come at the beginning of the process, but it doesn’t have to come at the end. We reiterate our commitment to making progress towards a two-state solution, in which a safe and secure Israel lives alongside a sovereign, viable Palestinian state. We must start with fixing the immediate crisis in Gaza. We are intensely engaging with international, including European and regional, partners to this end.