UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that Britain will formally recognise the State of Palestine in September unless Israel takes “substantive steps,” including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.
The bold declaration, revealed on Tuesday, is part of Starmer’s broader push for a “lasting peace” in the Middle East. The British Prime Minister recalled his cabinet from recess for urgent discussions amid escalating tensions and humanitarian concerns in Gaza.
This move positions the UK to potentially become the first G7 country alongside France, which has made a similar pledge to officially recognise Palestinian statehood.
In a televised Downing Street address immediately after the cabinet meeting, Starmer said the UK will recognise a Palestinian state if Israel has not taken the steps demanded by the time the UN General Assembly is held in September.
It must “end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect” of a two-state solution, he added.
“I’ve always said we will recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution,” Starmer said.
“With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act.”
The UK leader also detailed several demands for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is holding Israeli hostages seized in its attacks on October 7, 2023.
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“They must immediately release all of the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza,” he said.
‘Hand of history’
Israel promptly said it “rejects” the UK move, arguing it “constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza”.
Starmer spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before the announcement, telling him “the situation in Gaza was intolerable,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
“He urged the prime minister to take immediate action to lift all restrictions on aid access,” she added in a readout of the call.
Starmer also talked to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who “welcomed” the recognition announcement, the spokeswoman noted.
The UK move follows French President Emmanuel Macron announcing last week that Paris would recognise a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly meeting on September 23.
Although more than 140 countries already recognise the State of Palestine, none of them carry the weight of Britain and France, who are nuclear-armed allies of Israel with permanent seats on the UN Security Council.
On Tuesday, France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot welcomed London joining “the momentum created by France” to “stop the endless cycle of violence”.
Macron’s announcement drew a strong rebuke from both Israel and fellow G7 member the United States.
Starmer said Tuesday his government “will make an assessment in September on how far the parties have met” the demands.
But he insisted: “No one should have a veto over our decision.”
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Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy, attending a UN conference in New York led by France and Saudi Arabia to promote the two-state solution, echoed the sentiment.
Lammy said it was “with the hand of history on our shoulders” that London planned to recognise Palestinian statehood, given Britain’s pivotal role in Israel’s creation through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.
‘Suffering’
Starmer has been under growing domestic and international pressure to formally recognise a Palestinian state.
Macron publicly pressed for joint recognition of Palestine during his UK state visit this month, while an increasing number of MPs in Starmer’s ruling Labour party have been demanding action.
More than 220 British lawmakers from nine parties including Labour published a letter last Friday urging him to take the step.
It was included in Labour’s election-winning manifesto last year, as part of “a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state”.
But the pressure has risen as the humanitarian situation in Gaza has dramatically worsened.
“The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering,” Starmer said in his TV address, adding it “must end”.
His office said the UK had dropped its first aid, including “lifesaving supplies”, by air Tuesday into Gaza, with the help of Jordan.
The UK leader thanked its king, Abdullah II, in a call.
“However, they agreed that this could not be a substitute for truck deliveries by land, which are the only way to deliver the level of food and other aid urgently needed,” Starmer’s spokeswoman said.