Israel’s Defence Minister Ehud Barak has met Foreign Minister William Hague in London to discuss an “urgent return to negotiations.”

Speaking after the meeting last night, Mr Hague said: “I had a constructive wide-ranging meeting with Defence Minister Barak. I underlined that the UK unreservedly condemns the murder of the family in Itamar on March 11.”

“On the Middle East peace process the UK has been clear that both sides should urgently return to negotiations, based on clear parameters supported by the international community, in order to resolve final status issues. Together with France and Germany we have set out our views on what those parameters should be.

But he expressed concern over the announcement of 400 new housing units to be built in the West Bank, saying: “Continued settlements run contrary to peace.”

He added: “We also discussed Iran and the recent seizure of arms allegedly bound for Gaza. If, as the evidence suggests, this was indeed an arms shipment from Iran, and following last week’s exposure of the NATO seizure of Iranian arms destined for the Taliban, it would be another flagrant and unacceptable breach of UN Security Council Resolutions by Iran and further evidence of Iran’s intention to disrupt stability in the region”.