Britain plans to recognize Palestinian state if Israel fails to meet conditions

2025-07-29 21:27:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Britain will recognize a Palestinian state in September if the Israeli government does not take substantial steps to end the "terrible situation" in Gaza, and meets other conditions, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told his cabinet, according to a statement released by the prime minister's office.

French President Emmanuel Macron made a similar warning days ago.

Currently, the Palestinian state is recognized by more than 140 of the 193 member states of the United Nations.

According to the statement, Starmer will take this action at the United Nations General Assembly if the Israeli Government does not end the situation in Gaza, if it does not reach a ceasefire, if it does not make it clear that there will be no annexation of the West Bank, and if Israel does not commit to a long-term peace through a two-state solution.

"He reiterated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas, and that our demands on Hamas remain the same: all hostages must be released, a ceasefire must be signed, and Hamas must accept that it will have no role in the Gaza Government, as well as disarm," the statement said.

Hamas is a Palestinian group that has been declared a terrorist organization by the United States and other powers.

Starmer made this decision after calling a meeting of his cabinet on Tuesday to discuss a new peace plan that several European leaders are working on.

He has also discussed with his team ways of sending humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Previous British governments have said they will officially recognize a Palestinian state when the time is right, without mentioning any timeline or meeting any conditions.

But now, with warnings that people in Gaza are facing starvation, a growing number of lawmakers in Starmer's Labour Party have urged him to recognise a Palestinian state and increase pressure on Israel.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to the attack carried out by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took about 240 others hostage.

According to Palestinian health authorities, over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then.

Most of Gaza is now reduced to ruins.

The UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) has said that one in five children in Gaza City is now malnourished and that the number of cases is increasing every day.

Over 100 international aid organizations and human rights groups have warned of mass starvation in the Gaza Strip, putting pressure on governments around the world to act.

Israel, which controls all supplies entering Gaza, reiterates that there is no siege and blames Hamas for any cases of malnutrition./ REL