Tony Blair, the new international Middle East envoy, on Tuesday spoke of a “sense of possibility” in the region but indicated he needed more time before launching a mission aimed at enhancing the prospects of peace.

In his first visit to the region since his appointment by the international Quartet – the US, European Union, United Nations and Russia – the former British prime minister said: “I think there is a sense of possibility, but whether that sense of possibility can be translated into something ... needs to be worked out and thought about over time.”