More than 30 former UK ambassadors and 20 former senior British diplomats have written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging him to recognise a Palestinian state, amid growing international revulsion at the situation in Gaza. The letter adds to pressure on the government as the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, condemned the violence in Gaza as 'depraved' and 'barbaric', calling Israel's actions a 'grave sin'.
The former diplomats argue that recognising a Palestinian state would be a 'foundational first step towards breaking the deadly status quo'. They warn that 'the risks of inaction have profound, historic and catastrophic implications', and that Israel 'cannot be secure from threats in the future if the question of Palestine is not taken forward to a political settlement'. The signatories include former UK ambassadors to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria and Turkey.
Within Starmer's cabinet, there has been growing horror over Israel's actions. Health Secretary Wes Streeting publicly called for recognition while there was 'still a state of Palestine left to recognise', and condemned Israeli actions that went 'well beyond legitimate self-defence'. London Mayor Sadiq Khan also urged the government to recognise a Palestinian state immediately, describing scenes in Gaza as 'absolutely harrowing'.
The Archbishop of York's statement said: 'With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanisation being inflicted on the civilian population by the government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable.' He called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and rejected any policy that 'would amount to the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population from Gaza'.
Earlier on Wednesday, 111 aid organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and Oxfam, warned that 'mass starvation' was spreading in Gaza due to continued Israeli restrictions on aid delivery. Israel claims aid is allowed in but is stolen by Hamas. The letter from former diplomats says a partial suspension of arms sales and limited sanctions are insufficient pressure the UK can bring to bear on Israel.
