UK to recognise Palestinian state by September unless Israel agrees to ceasefire
by Josef Al Shemary · LBCBy Josef Al Shemary
Keir Starmer has said the UK will recognise a Palestinian state by September, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire.
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The Prime Minister issued the ultimatum to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, following an emergency meeting of his Cabinet.
Sir Keir said that the UK could recognise a Palestinian state as soon as the UN General Assembly in September, unless Israel takes “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza”.
He said the Israeli government must reach a ceasefire, make clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commit to a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution.
Following the news, Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu hit out at Starmer, saying he "rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims."
"A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW," he wrote on X.
Read also: All the countries that recognise Palestine as a state
"Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen."
When making the announcement, Sir Keir reiterated that Britain's demands on Hamas remain and the terror group must release all remaining hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm.
Read more: Dozens die in Gaza despite Israeli-declared ‘humanitarian pause’, health officials say
Asked if he knew Sir Keir's statement was coming, US President Mr Trump said he did not discuss statehood with his UK counterpart during their meetings in Scotland the day before.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Trump said: "You could make the case... that you are rewarding Hamas if you do that. And I don't think they should be rewarded."
The US, along with many other European nations, has maintained it would only recognise a Palestinian state as part of steps towards a long-term resolution to the war.
Tammy Bruce, spokeswoman for the US state department, described Sir Keir's proposal as a "slap in the face for the victims of October 7", which "rewards Hamas", the Telegraph reported.
More than 230 backbench MPs from all parties and almost a third of the cabinet have been pressing Starmer to act. He made the announcement after holding an emergency cabinet meeting today.
Speaking in Downing Street following the meeting, Sir Keir said the recent images from Gaza "will stay with us for a lifetime".
"We see starving babies, children too weak to stand... the suffering must end," the PM added.
Sir Keir said the UK has begun airdropping aid into the enclave, but stressed that he wants to see at least 500 aid trucks enter the territory every day.
Prior to the war, Gaza would receive between 500 and 600 trucks of aid per day.
Starmer added that the best time to recognise the state of Palestine is now, as it will have the most impact. He has previously repeatedly said the UK would recognise Palestine “at a time most conducive to the prospects of peace”.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: "[The PM] said that because of the increasingly intolerable situation in Gaza and the diminishing prospect of a peace process towards a two state solution, now was the right time to move this position forward.
"He said that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine in September, before UNGA, 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."
UNGA refers to the next United Nations General Assembly meeting, which will begin in New York City on September 9, 2025.
The Prime Minister added that, by giving this deadline, he hopes the move "plays a part, in changing the conditions on the ground, and making sure that, that aid gets into making sure that there is hope of a two state solution for the future".
Britain announces plan to recognise Palestinian state | Instant reaction
Speaking from Downing Street, he said: "We need to see at least 500 trucks entering Gaza every day, but ultimately, the only way to bring this humanitarian crisis to an end is through a long-term settlement.
"So we are supporting the US, Egyptian and Qatari efforts to secure a vital ceasefire. That ceasefire must be sustainable and it must lead to a wider peace plan, which we are developing with our international partners.
"This plan will deliver security and proper governance in Gaza and pave the way for negotiations on a two-state solution. Our goal remains a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state."
He said this is part of an "eight part plan" that he has discussed with France and Germany.
French President Emmanuel Macron had announced that his nation would recognise Palestine at the same UN summit, becoming the first major Western power to do so.
After an emergency phone call between the leaders of the three nations, known as the E3, they issued a shared statement on Friday pressing Israel to end the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza.
The Prime Minister's announcement came after an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss Gaza, which was met with a loud pro-Palestine protest outside Downing Street.
Hundreds of protesters waved Palestinian flags and banged saucepans and pots together to signify the high levels of malnutrition in the strip after an Israeli embargo preventing aid from entering the territory.
A metres-long banner was being held behind them, in front of the black gates on Whitehall, that reads "genocide in Gaza" and "death from famine and disease".
The sign also says "no food, water, electricity; hospitals, schools, universities destroyed" and "over 59,106 dead, 17,921 children, 11,000 under rubble".