Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper are among senior cabinet ministers urging Keir Starmer to accelerate recognition of a Palestinian state, as Israel faces international condemnation over withholding aid in Gaza. More than a third of MPs have signed a letter calling for immediate action.
The pressure comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, with charities reporting that severe malnutrition among children under five in Gaza City has tripled in the last two weeks. The UK, France and Germany issued a joint statement on Friday demanding Israel lift restrictions on aid, calling the situation 'unacceptable'.
Starmer stated after a call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that the 'starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people' is 'indefensible'. He reaffirmed support for recognising a Palestinian state but insisted it must be part of a broader plan leading to a two-state solution.
France has already announced it will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, increasing pressure on the UK. However, Donald Trump dismissed the move, saying it 'doesn't carry weight'.
At least six cabinet ministers, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, have pushed for recognition in recent meetings. A government source described the situation as 'everybody v No 10', with growing public anger over the issue.
On Friday, 221 MPs from nine parties signed a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging the UK to announce recognition at a UN conference next week. They argued that British recognition would be 'particularly powerful' given the UK's historical role in the Balfour Declaration and as the former Mandatory Power in Palestine.
