UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday announced that Britain will recognise a Palestinian state in September, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and takes concrete steps toward a lasting peace. In a cabinet meeting focused on the Gaza conflict, Starmer told ministers that the UK would support Palestinian statehood ahead of the United Nations General Assembly if Israel fails to meet a set of conditions. These include ending the ongoing military operations in Gaza, halting plans for annexation in the West Bank, and committing to a peace process aimed at a two-state solution, news agency AP reported. "Unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution, Britain will proceed with recognition," he told the Cabinet, AP reported. While the UK has historically backed the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, official recognition has until now been tied to the outcome of direct negotiations. However, momentum toward unilateral recognition has grown since French President Emmanuel Macron, last week, announced that France would become the first major Western nation to formally recognise Palestine in September. In response, Israel's foreign ministry condemned the UK’s decision, calling it a “reward for Hamas.” A statement issued on the social media platform X on Tuesday claimed that the UK’s plans to recognise Palestine would undermine efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and potentially reward terrorism. Israel argued that such a move would send the wrong message and encourage further instability in the region. "Recognising Palestine at this time would reward Hamas and harm efforts to end the violence," Israel's foreign ministry said in the statement.
