Blair defends jail monitors' exit

Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian prisoners and guards

Prime Minister Tony Blair has defended the decision to withdraw UK monitors from a Palestinian jail.

After they pulled out Israeli forces raided the Jericho prison and captured a top Palestinian militant. Protesters then attacked British Council offices.

On Wednesday Mr Blair was asked whether the move had been "thought through".

He said the move was not "uncalled for" and told MPs Britain had warned the Palestinian authority for months about fears for the monitors' security.

The Israeli raid on the prison prompted a wave of violence directed mainly at Western targets, with many believing there had been collusion between the UK, US and Israel.

'Simply wrong'

The British Council office in Gaza City was set on fire and crowds also attacked the British Council office in Ramallah in the West Bank.

Eleven foreigners were also kidnapped following the prison raid in which Israeli forces seized Ahmed Saadat, leader of the left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. All have been released.

All Palestinian factions on Wednesday called on businesses and schools to close in protest.

The idea that this was either precipitate or uncalled-for or unthought-through is simply wrong Tony Blair

Mr Saadat is blamed by Israel for killing a cabinet minister in 2001.

At prime minister's questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, UK opposition leader, Conservative David Cameron, pressed Mr Blair to say if he had been "satisfied that the consequences of withdrawing the monitors were properly thought through".

Mr Blair said that they had been and rejected suggestions that the government had acted in "bad faith" by taking the monitors out of the prison.

"The idea that this was either precipitate or uncalled-for or unthought-through is simply wrong," he said.

Proper detention procedures were not being observed by the Palestinian side, despite the Palestinian Authority and its president being warned over the last three months that "this is a serious situation - you have to act", he said.

'Two state solution'

Mr Cameron asked what steps were being taken to protect British citizens, buildings and organisations and whether they were given any advanced warning to take extra security precautions.

Mr Blair replied: "I'm not sure of the precise precautions they were told to take but I do know this is something that was discussed widely and extensively with people, precisely because we were concerned about the situation that might arise.

"This country has been immensely generous with help given to people in the Palestinian Authority area.

"We will continue to do everything we can to support the Palestinian people. But there is one issue that has to be addressed by the Palestinian Authority and that is security on the Palestinian side.

I hope people understand that we could not continue with the situation where wholly unarmed people were put at risk Tony Blair Q&A: Israel's jail raid

"If people want progress towards a two state solution, which we have championed in this country - an independent viable Palestinian state living side by side with Israel - then the security within the Palestinian area is of prime concern.

"We have done everything we can to support them. But we need some help back.

"Another reason for our concern was the recent statement from Hamas following the elections that they intended to release the particular people in this detention centre.

"I hope people understand that we could not continue with the situation where wholly unarmed people were put at risk."

Ramallah

Mr Cameron then asked whether "the events of the last 24 hours reinforce the need to ensure Hamas abide by the conditions set down by the international community - to recognise Israel, abandon violence and abide by all the previous agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, one of which concerned the running of the Jericho prison itself".

Mr Blair said: "The only way we are ever going to get a peace process beginning again in the Middle East is if it is accepted that the solution the international community is committed to, a two state solution, can only be proceeded with if both sides accept the existence of the other state.

The agreement on both sides ... is that the Palestinians would take charge of the detention but it would be independently monitored by us. We have kept to that agreement every inch of the way. We have done the independent monitoring Tony Blair

"Otherwise it is extremely difficult to see how we can make progress.

"We totally respect the mandate Hamas secured in the elections. We supported those democratic elections. We support them still.

"But if they want our help, both politically and financially to make progress, it has to be on an understood basis that means giving up violence, negotiating peacefully and accepting the existence of Israel."

In response to another question Mr Blair said the monitors were in place under the Ramallah agreement of 2002 "whereby people charged with serious offences, including assassination of Israeli politicians, would be kept in this detention centre and we would monitor their detention".

"The agreement on both sides ... is that the Palestinians would take charge of the detention but it would be independently monitored by us. We have kept to that agreement every inch of the way. We have done the independent monitoring.

"The breach has been because the proper detention procedures were not being observed on the Palestinian side."

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas cut short a trip to Europe to deal with the crisis. He visited the damaged prison where he angrily denounced the raid and accused the US and UK of colluding with Israel.

Mr Abbas said the monitors had complained about small violations of the detention agreement, such as the unauthorised family visits or use of mobile phones, "but they never spoke of serious things".

Israel said Tuesday's prison raid was necessary because several militants had been about to be freed by the Palestinian authorities.