Commons foreign affairs committee says policy of non-engagement is achieving little

The government is facing fresh calls today from MPs to open contacts with the militant Palestinian Hamas movement in an attempt to inject new momentum into the Middle East peace process.

The Commons foreign affairs committee said the current policy of non-engagement with Hamas – which controls the Gaza strip – appeared to be achieving little.

It reiterated its call of two years ago for the government to “urgently” consider ways of engaging politically with “moderate elements” within the group.

The government refuses to talk to Hamas until it accepts the principles of the international Quartet – the United Nations, the United States, the European Union and Russia – of non-violence and acceptance of the existence of the state of Israel.

“There continues to be few signs that the current policy of non-engagement is achieving the Quartet’s stated objectives,” the committee said.

“We further conclude that the credible peace process for which the Quartet hopes, as part of its strategy for undercutting Hamas, is likely to be difficult to achieve without greater co-operation from Hamas itself. We are concerned that the Quartet is continuing to fail to provide Hamas with greater incentives to change its position.”

The committee contrasted the government’s continued unwillingness to talk to Hamas with its decision to open contacts with the political wing of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

It criticised both Hamas and Israel over the Gaza conflict at the end of last year, accusing Hamas of targeting civilians in its rocket attacks on Israel while describing the Israeli military action as “disproportionate”.

The committee also condemned Israel’s continuing refusal to allow unrestricted humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.