Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of reports that the Palestinian Authority is making monthly payments to the families of Hamas fighters killed during the 7 October 2023 attacks.

A reformed Palestinian Authority is essential to long-term stability in the region and making progress towards a two-state solution. The UK welcomes the Palestinian Authority's commitment to deliver its ambitious and necessary 'National Program for Development and Reform' in full as a matter of priority in the short, medium and long term. We welcome the important commitments made by the Palestinian Authority to reform prisoner payments so that welfare payments are needs-based and delinked from violent actions. The Palestinian Authority must now ensure an independent audit verifies that the reforms have been completed. Alongside our partners, the UK will continue to support the Palestinian Authority as it delivers its important reform agenda.