The UK will formally recognise the state of Palestine this September unless Israel abides by a ceasefire and commits to a two-state solution, the government has announced. The decision follows an emergency cabinet meeting called amid the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the “increasingly intolerable” situation on the ground and the diminishing prospect of a two-state solution made it the right time to act. “Our goal remains a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, but right now, that goal is under pressure like never before,” he told reporters.
The UK’s eight-point peace plan, backed by allies, requires Israel to take “substantive steps” to end the crisis, reach a ceasefire, commit to no annexation in the West Bank, and engage in a long-term peace process. Recognition would occur before the UN General Assembly in September unless these conditions are met.
Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the move, calling it a “reward for Hamas”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X that Starmer had rewarded “Hamas’s monstrous terrorism” and warned that “a jihadist state on Israel’s border today will threaten Britain tomorrow”.
The UK also reiterated its demands for Hamas to release all hostages, disarm, and accept no role in Gaza’s government. Starmer emphasised that no party would have a veto over the decision, which follows talks with US President Donald Trump and European leaders.
Domestically, the Liberal Democrats and Greens criticised the government for using statehood as a “bargaining chip”, urging immediate recognition. The announcement comes as UN-backed experts warn of famine in Gaza, with the death toll surpassing 60,000, according to local health authorities.
