Foreign Secretary William Hague is due to visit Israel this week during a short tour of the Middle East.

He is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks on the peace process.

The trip has been planned for some time and is being made in an effort to support US Secretary of State John Kerry's work to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to return to negotiations.

Mr Kerry will also be in Israel - his fourth visit in two months as he works to turn around reluctance on both sides and looks to boost the Palestinian economy.

Mr Hague will attend a meeting of the core group nations in Jordan on Wednesday before travelling to Israel the following day.

He is also due to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.