UK Will Recognize Palestinian Statehood In September, Unless Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire is Reached – The New York Times
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Israel accuses Starmer of rewarding Hamas
Israel has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “rewarding Hamas” after he declared the UK will recognise Palestine in September unless Benjamin Netanyahu’s government makes peace. The Prime Minister issued the ultimatum to his Israeli counterpart after an emergency meeting of his Cabinet. The Israeli foreign ministry said: “Israel rejects the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.” But, the announcement was welcomed by the government of France after Emmanuel Macron, the French president, confirmed last week that his own country would also recognise Palestine.Sir Keir faced criticism from both Left-wing figures who said his announcement did not go far enough and political opponents to his Right who warned it would ‘reward’ Hamas.Reform UK warned that the decision had been made at the “wrong time’ and play into the hands of Hamas.
The Prime Minister issued the ultimatum to his Israeli counterpart after an emergency meeting of his Cabinet.
The announcement followed months of pressure from Sir Keir’s own Cabinet colleagues and MPs to move to a policy of immediate recognition.
It is likely to see the Government face pressure to go further, with critics to Sir Keir’s Left warning that statehood should not be used as a “bargaining chip”.
On Tuesday night, the Israeli foreign ministry said: “Israel rejects the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
“The shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages.”
However, Sir Keir’s announcement was welcomed by the government of France after Emmanuel Macron, the French president, confirmed last week that his own country would also recognise Palestine.
In an address to the nation, Sir Keir said: “I’ve always said that 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. With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act.”
Sir Keir said the Israeli government must:
Agree to a ceasefire
Allow the UN to restart the supply of aid — 500 trucks a day
Make clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank
Commit to a long-term sustainable peace based on two-state solution
The Prime Minister added: “Meanwhile our message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged and unequivocal. 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.”
Speaking at a United Nations summit on the two-state solution in New York, David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said the Government had “the hand of history on our shoulders”.
Mr Lammy said: “There is no better vision for the future of the region than two states. Israelis living within secure borders, recognised and at peace with their neighbours, free from the threat of terrorism, and Palestinians living in their own state in dignity and security, free of occupation.
“The decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians cannot be managed or contained. It must now be resolved. Britain is ready to play its full and historic part.”
Sir Keir faced criticism from both Left-wing figures who said his announcement did not go far enough and political opponents to his Right who warned it would “reward” Hamas.
Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Keir’s predecessor and the co-founder of a new hard-Left party, said: “Palestinian statehood is not a bargaining chip. It is not a threat. It is an inalienable right of the Palestinian people.
“Our demands on this shameful Government remain the same: end all arms sales to Israel, impose widespread sanctions, and stop the genocide, now.”
His sentiments were shared by Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, who demanded “far greater action” to stop the worsening humanitarian situation.
Reform UK warned that Sir Keir’s decision had been made at the “wrong time” and play into the hands of Hamas.
A Reform spokesman said: “Recognising Palestine as a state does little more than reward Hamas for their actions on October 7.
“This decision is being made at the wrong time and is a knee-jerk reaction by Keir Starmer to appease the hard left forces inside and outside of his party.”
Gaza latest: Israel rejects UK’s shift on Palestinian state; Netanyahu says ‘one big obstacle’ to hostage deal
‘They’ve got to get them food’: Trump asked if first lady has influenced his thinking on Gaza. ‘There’s nothing you can say other than it’s terrible,’ he continued.
Donald Trump defended Israel’s handling of the crisis in Gaza on Air Force One earlier (see our previous post for more on that).
But still speaking to reporters on the presidential plane, Trump has expressed his horror at seeing pictures of starving children there.
The US president was asked if his wife Melania had spoken to him about the crisis. He recently revealed how she influenced his thinking on the Ukraine war, when she was shocked by Russian airstrikes on civilians.
Trump replied the first lady “thinks it’s terrible”, and added everybody thinks the same “unless you’re coldhearted”.
“There’s nothing you can say other than it’s terrible,” he continued.
“Those are kids that are starving… they’ve got to get them food,” he added.
The U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state if Israel doesn’t agree to a Gaza ceasefire
The U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state if Israel doesn’t agree to a Gaza ceasefire. This follows an announcement last week from French President Emmanuel Macron. The Israeli government swiftly opposed the move to recognize Palestinian statehood. More than 140 countries, including several in Europe, already recognize PalestinianStatehood.. The U.S. and France would be the biggest Western powers — members of the Group of Seven leading economies — to do so. The move follows a meeting Monday between Starmer and President Trump in Scotland, where the two discussed the war in Gaza.
toggle caption Toby Melville/Pool Reuters/AP
The United Kingdom will recognize a Palestinian state by September unless Israel commits to peace in the Gaza Strip, stopping the annexation of the West Bank and other measures, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday.
This follows an announcement last week from French President Emmanuel Macron that France plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Europe France will recognize a Palestinian state France recognizes Palestinian state Listen · 3:15 3:15
Prime Minister Starmer said he has long supported negotiations to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel — known as a two-state solution — to help resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act,” Starmer said in an address. “So today, as part of this process towards peace, I can confirm the U.K. will recognize the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to 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.”
Sponsor Message
Starmer also called on Hamas — the militant and political organization that runs Gaza — to release the hostages it seized in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which prompted a full-scale Israeli military invasion of Gaza. He said Hamas should “sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept they will play no part in the government of Gaza.”
The Israeli government swiftly opposed the move to recognize Palestinian statehood. “The shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
More than 140 countries, including several in Europe, already recognize Palestinian statehood. The U.K. and France would be the biggest Western powers — members of the Group of Seven leading economies — to do so.
The U.K. announcement follows a meeting Monday between Starmer and President Trump in Scotland, where the two discussed the war in Gaza and mass starvation in the territory as top issues.
When asked if Starmer should join France in recognizing a Palestinian state, Trump told reporters: “I’m not going to take a position, I don’t mind him [Starmer] taking a position. I’m looking for getting people fed right now.”
What would UK recognition of Palestine as a state actually mean?
The UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and a two-state solution in Gaza, Sir Keir Starmer has vowed. The prime minister said Benjamin Netanyahu’s government must end its starvation tactics and allow the supply of aid into the embattled enclave. It comes as British foreign secretary David Lammy is attending a United Nations conference in New York on Tuesday to urge support for a two state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. Here, The Independent asks experts about what the UK recognising Palestinian statehood would mean in practice. Dr Julie Norman, an associate professor at UCL specialising in Middle Eastern politics, said it looks likely that the UK will. recognise Palestine as a state. This would mean voting for this at the United Nations (UN) – but it would be unlikely the UN would recognise Palestinian. statehood due to the probability of the United States blocking the move. The idea of dividing the Holy Land goes back decades. The UN partition plan in 1947 envisioned dividing the territory into Jewish and Arab states. Upon Israel’s declaration of independence the following year, war erupted with its Arab neighbours.
The UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and a two-state solution in Gaza, Sir Keir Starmer has vowed.
The prime minister said Benjamin Netanyahu’s government must end its starvation tactics and allow the supply of aid into the embattled enclave after a UN-backed food security body said the “worst-case scenario of famine” was playing out in the territory.
The announcement on Tuesday came after an emergency virtual cabinet meeting where Sir Keir laid out his plan for peace in the Middle East, agreed over the weekend with French President Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Sir Keir has come under mounting pressure from his own party to recognise a Palestinian state, which has only grown since President Emmanuel Macron announced France’s intention to do so by September.
It comes as British foreign secretary David Lammy is attending a United Nations conference in New York on Tuesday to urge support for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
open image in gallery With warnings people in Gaza are facing starvation, growing numbers of lawmakers in the Labour Party want Sir Keir Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state to put pressure on Israel
Here, The Independent asks experts about what the UK recognising Palestinian statehood would mean in practice.
What would UK recognition of Palestine as a state mean?
Dr Julie Norman, an associate professor at UCL specialising in Middle Eastern politics, said it looks likely that the UK will recognise Palestine as a state, which would mean voting for this at the United Nations (UN) – but it would be unlikely the UN would recognise Palestinian statehood due to the probability of the United States blocking the move.
However, she said countries such as the UK and France voting for recognition at the UN would be a “significant” move.
And she said the UK officially recognising Palestinian statehood would still be of “value”, even if the reality is that not much would change on the ground, with Israel still “fully rejecting” the prospect of recognition.
open image in gallery Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas ( Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )
Speaking of British recognition, Dr Norman said: “It would be a strong moral commitment and stance to Palestine at a moment when it’s never been more fraught in Gaza and the West Bank.
“In the short term, it’s a diplomatic stance, and it makes room for policy changes.
“And, if and when parties come back to discuss the long-term conflict, it would put Palestine in a better position. So it wouldn’t change things immediately, but I would say it still has value.”
She added that the move might initially see more change in London than in Ramallah, a city in the central West Bank, which serves as the administrative capital of Palestine – with, for example, the opening of an embassy in the UK capital. This would not mean recognition of Hamas.
open image in gallery A Palestinian woman walks at the site of houses destroyed during an Israeli raid in the western part of Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on Tuesday ( REUTERS )
What is the two-state solution?
The idea of dividing the Holy Land goes back decades.
When the British mandate over Palestine ended, the UN partition plan in 1947 envisioned dividing the territory into Jewish and Arab states. Upon Israel’s declaration of independence the following year, war erupted with its Arab neighbours and the plan was never implemented. Over half of the Palestinian population fled or were forced to flee. Under a 1949 armistice, Jordan held control over the West Bank and east Jerusalem and Egypt over Gaza.
Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek these lands for a future independent state, and the idea of a two-state solution based on Israel’s pre-1967 boundaries has been the basis of peace talks dating back to the 1990s.
The two-state solution has wide international support, but there is disagreement about how it would be implemented.
Israel’s creation and expansion of settlements in the Occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law, are seen as a major obstacle to this.
open image in gallery Starvation in the war-torn strip has reached a critical point ( REUTERS )
What would recognition of Palestine as a state mean for refugees?
Sir Vincent Fean, a former British Consul General to Jerusalem and now a trustee of the charity Britain Palestine Project, explained that recognition of Palestine as a state would mean that if Palestinian passports were issued, they would subsequently be recognised by the UK as passports of a state.
However, Sir Vincent said Palestinian statehood would not affect the UK’s refugee system.
“Does it impact the tally of refugees coming to the UK? No,” he said. This is because he expects the visa regime the UK currently has with Palestine – where travel is only allowed between the two after a successful visa application – would continue.
He added that Palestinian statehood “wouldn’t particularly change the right of return for Palestinians to their homeland”. He said this was a “long-standing right”, although it would require negotiation with Israel.
open image in gallery Prime minister Keir Starmer is convening a meeting of his Cabinet on Tuesday to discuss the situation in the Middle East ( PA Wire )
What does UK recognition of Palestinian statehood mean for how the two would communicate?
Sir Vincent said this was a “very important point” to clarify, as he highlighted the distinction between recognising the entity of Palestine and recognising factions of government.
He said: “It’s important to say the British government doesn’t recognise governments, it recognises states.
“So it isn’t actually recognising President [Mahmoud] Abbas as head of the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organisation] and head of the Palestinian Authority.
“In practice, he would be the interlocutor in Ramallah, because there isn’t an alternative.”
He stressed, however, that Britain has already proscribed Hamas as a terrorist group and that this would not change.
Dr Norman added that the Palestinian Authority is currently the main governing entity for Palestinians in the West Bank, which the UK has recognised and had lines of communication with for a long time. If Britain were to recognise Palestinian statehood, this would not change and would continue.
Sir Vincent also said that the prospect of Hamas running Palestine next is “practically zero” because the militants’ chances of winning an election are “remote”.
He said the plan for the future governance of Gaza involving the Palestinian Authority will be a focus of the UN meeting being held this week.
open image in gallery Israeli soldiers work on their tanks in a staging area on the border with Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Tuesday ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )
What countries have recognised Palestinian statehood?
France has become the latest country to announce it will recognise Palestinian statehood, drawing angry rebukes from Israel and the United States and opening the door for other major nations to perhaps follow suit.
Mr Macron last week published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France’s intention to press ahead with recognition and work to convince other partners to do the same. He said he would make a formal announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next month.
France is now the first major Western country to shift its diplomatic stance on a Palestinian state, after Spain, Ireland, and Norway officially recognised it last year.
The three countries made the declaration and agreed its borders would be demarcated as they were before the 1967 Middle East war, when Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
However, they also recognised that those borders may change if a final settlement is reached over the territory, and that their decisions did not diminish their belief in Israel’s fundamental right to exist in peace and security.
About 144 of the 193 UN member states recognise Palestine as a state, including most of the global south as well as Russia, China and India. But only a handful of the 27 European Union members do so, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus.
The UN General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012 by upgrading its observer status at the world body to “non-member state” from “entity”.
open image in gallery The issue has come to the fore in the UK after President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France would recognise Palestine as a state ( AP )
What implications would UK recognition of Palestinian statehood have internationally?
Dr Norman said: “This is where it can be important”.
Two major global powers, such as the UK and France, making the move would be “significant” and would pave the way for conversations on the issue happening elsewhere, such as in Canada, she said.
“It starts isolating the US as the main major power backing Israel to the exclusion of Palestine,” she said. “It makes them the exception and shows the rest of the world somewhat united in Palestinian self-determination, which has been the UK’s policy for a while now. If we’re serious about that, then we need to be serious about that.
“We don’t have as much military weight as the US, but we do still have diplomatic weight, and we should use what we can.
“It would show Europe is committed to a two-state solution, and wouldn’t let that disappear or sit in the back seat.”
U.K. to Recognize Palestinian State Unless Israel Implements Ceasefire
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the U.K. will recognize Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September. Starmer called on Israel to end the “appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, and commit to a sustainable, long-term peace that revives the prospect of a two-state solution” The move comes amid growing international outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza. France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that France would recognize Palestine in September, and Spain, Norway and Ireland also recognized Palestine last year. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz responded to the decisions, calling them “distorted” and that they send “a message to the Palestinians and the world: Terrorism pays.” The Israeli government also passed a non-binding motion for the annexation of the West Bank before the Knesset began a three-month recess. More than 230 MPs, including a third of his cabinet, have urged him to act.
Advertisement Advertisement
The move follows a similar announcement from French President Emmanuel Macron that France will recognize Palestine in September, and comes amid growing international outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza—fueled by images of emaciated children and a rising hunger-related death toll. Starmer said that Israel must also allow the United Nations to resume aid deliveries into Gaza and provide assurances that no annexations will take place in the West Bank. “Our message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged and unequivocal. They must immediately release all of the hostages, sign up to a cease-fire, disarm, and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza,” Starmer told reporters. “But also we need alongside that to ensure that we get aid in at volume and in speed into Gaza because the situation is simply intolerable,” he said. Starmer expressed concern that the goal of a two-state solution is slipping further out of reach. “The very idea of a two state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has felt for many, many years,” he said.
Advertisement
A U.N.-backed international food security body warned earlier on Tuesday that Gaza is experiencing a “worst-case famine scenario” saying that intensifying conflict and displacement are leading to “widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease.” Last week, the Israeli government also passed a non-binding motion for the annexation of the West Bank before the Knesset began a three-month recess. Starmer follows Macron in move toward recognition On July 25, Macron announced that he would be officially recognising the State of Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly in September – a move that was met with criticism from Israel and the United States. “It is essential to build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative,” Macron said last week.
Advertisement
Last year Spain, Norway and Ireland also recognized Palestine. “Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu does not have a project of peace for Palestine, even if the fight against the terrorist group Hamas is legitimate,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in May 2024. Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris, who announced the decision in a press conference, likened Palestinians’ bid for self-determination to the Irish people’s history seeking international recognition of their independence in 1919. “Today, we use the same language to support the recognition of Palestine as a state,” said Harris. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz responded to the decisions, calling them “distorted” and that they send “a message to the Palestinians and the world: Terrorism pays.” Domestic pressure spurs Starmer His statement comes amid growing domestic pressure over the U.K.’s stance on the conflict. More than 230 MPs, including a third of his cabinet, have urged him to act.
Advertisement
The U.K. has increased its pressure on Israel in recent weeks regarding its conduct in both Gaza and the West Bank. Starmer signed a joint statement alongside Canada and France on May 19 in which the three countries condemned Israel’s plans to expand military operations in Gaza. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and French President Emmanuel Macron were “Emboldening Hamas,” with their stance. In June, the U.K, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway imposed sanctions against far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for “Inciting extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights.” Most recently, more than 30 countries including the U.K. signed a joint statement calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, saying: “The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.”
Advertisement
The statement also reiterated calls for Hamas to release the remaining hostages still held in captivity within Gaza.