Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are giving any assistance to help consolidate the recent reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas, and to support negotiations aimed at long-term peace in Palestine.

The Government is not providing any assistance to help consolidate the recent reconciliation deal. Our longstanding policy on reconciliation remains that we support the Palestinian people in realising self-determination through an independent, sovereign, and unified Palestinian state. We welcome the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) return to Gaza on 2 October and the agreement to allow the PA to resume administrative control. This is an important and positive step toward the restoration of the PA control and effective governance. We encourage those involved in the talks to engage in good faith, to allow the PA to fully resume its government functions in Gaza, and ensure compliance with the Quartet Principles.