Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair has told the Commons foreign-affairs select committee that he would not visit the Hamas-run Gaza Strip for fear of disrupting peace efforts.
The former prime minister, addressing MPs last Thursday, said: “We need to get a ceasefire in Gaza, progressively to start reopening the crossings, start to get proper humanitarian help through, and then build our way back out of this situation where the people of Gaza can be helped.”
It was Mr Blair’s first appearance before MPs since his appointment as envoy for the Quartet — the UN, the EU, the US and Russia — in June last year after he stepped down as prime minister. He conceded that he had not yet visited Gaza and said that he would not do so until he was sure his visit would “help, rather than harm, peace efforts”.
Tony Blair waves as he leaves his car in the West Bank town of Nablus
Mr Blair said he understood the position that peace talks should include all relevant parties, but noted that that was not the Quartet’s position. Its policy is to hold talks only with those who accept the existence of Israel.