There are meetings in this job that I know will stay with me for the rest of my life. I had one of these on Thursday in Jerusalem when I sat down with the families of British victims of the 7 October attacks. Until that day their loved ones had been living normal, happy lives in Israel. But now they are listed among the murdered and the missing.

The families are bearing their worries with dignity and bravery. But looking into their eyes, you could see the agony they were going through. As a father, a son and a husband I can only begin to contemplate their pain: a pain shared by too many other Jewish families.

After that meeting, I contemplated what could possibly motivate people to do to a family what Hamas has done to these families. This pogrom was motivated by an evil hatred. But it was also prompted by a fear that a new dawn might be breaking in the Middle East, one that would leave old hatreds behind and offer hope of better, more secure, more prosperous lives across the region. On this trip, I was determined to keep that hope of a better future alive.

The first thing we must do is support the families of British victims and to get the hostages back. If Hamas had a single ounce of humanity, they would release all the hostages immediately. But Hamas have already shown who they are. They must be defeated.