U.K. to recognize Palestine as a state unless Israel agrees to ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza
LONDON — The U.K. has said it would recognize Palestine as a state unless the Israeli government “takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza,” as global anger mounts over the war in the Palestinian territory.
“We demand an immediate ceasefire to stop the slaughter,” a statement from Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said on Tuesday. It set a September deadline.
The statement also called for the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza. Around 50 people remain captivity in the enclave, according the the most recent Israeli tally released last month, although 28 are believed to be dead.
The total number of Palestinians killed since Israel launched its offensive in October 2023 has passed 60,000, the health ministry in the Gaza Strip announced earlier. Also on Tuesday, the world’s leading body on hunger said the “worst-case scenario of famine” was unfolding there.
“Unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza,” while allowing the U.N. “to restart without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation,” it would recognize the state of Palestine in September before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the statement added.
Hunger and malnutrition, which had been worsening since the beginning of the war, began to spiral after Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas in May, permitting only a trickle of desperately needed aid into the enclave. Israel has also sought to replace the United Nations-run aid structure with Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Backed by the U.S. with the help of private security contractors, it runs four distribution sites, compared with the hundreds that were in place before.
The U.K.’s decision follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement Thursday that France would recognize Palestine as a state.
If they end up recognizing Palestine, the U.K. and France would join more than 140 countries that already do.
The U.K.’s move will almost certainly provoke an angry response from Israel and the United States. On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called France’s decision “reckless” and serving “Hamas propaganda.”
Starmer has faced pressure from growing numbers of lawmakers in his ruling Labour Party about recognizing a Palestinian state and put pressure on the Israeli government.
Successive British governments have said they will formally recognize a Palestinian state when the time is right, but they have never setting a timetable or specified the necessary conditions to do so.
Tuesday’s announcement came after Starmer recalled his Cabinet during its summer recess to discuss a new peace plan being worked on with European leaders, part of which will focus on getting more aid into Gaza.
Among Americans, Israel’s war in Gaza, which was triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attacks that killed some 1,200 people, has falled dramatically, according to a new Gallup poll. Only about one-third approved of them military action, which represents a drop from the beginning of the war when about half of Americans approved of the operation.
