July 30, (THEWILL) — The United Kingdom (UK) has threatened to recognise Palestine as a state in September 2025, unless Israel takes significant steps to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and commits to a two-state solution.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared the intention amidst mounting international pressure and a worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, where a UN-backed food security body has reported that the “worst-case scenario of famine” is unfolding.
This conditional recognition signifies a notable shift in the UK’s long-standing policy, which previously maintained that Palestinian statehood would be recognised as part of a peace process, without setting a specific timetable or explicit conditions
The move aligns the UK with France, which also announced its intention to recognise a Palestinian state by September, and follows similar declarations by Spain, Ireland, and Norway in the previous year. Approximately 144 of the 193 UN member states already recognise Palestine as a state.
However, PM Starmer said Israel would avoid the possibility if there is “an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, end to starvation tactics and allowing unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza, no annexation in the West Bank, and a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution.”
Prime Minister Starmer emphasised that the decision was driven by the “intolerable situation” in Gaza and the concern that the prospect of a two-state solution is diminishing.
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, further stated at the United Nations that the UK bears a “special burden of responsibility” to support the two-state solution, given its historical role in the region. He also highlighted that the Netanyahu government’s rejection of a two-state solution is “wrong morally; and it’s wrong strategically”.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused Starmer of “appeasing jihadist terrorists” and rewarding Hamas’s “monstrous terrorism”.
Also, the US State Department had expressed concern, calling Starmer’s remarks a “slap in the face for the victims of October 7”.
However, Palestinian officials and some NGOs have criticised the conditional nature of the recognition, arguing that Palestinian statehood is an “inalienable right” and should not be used as a “bargaining chip”.
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, said formal recognition would be a “meaningful step” in addressing historical injustices.
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