British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce the United Kingdom’s formal recognition of the Palestinian state later today, according to the BBC.
Starmer previously stated in July that the UK would change its position if Israel failed to meet key conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and committing to a long-term peace process that would lead to a Palestinian state coexisting alongside Israel.
“Any decision to recognize a Palestinian state does not mean the state will emerge overnight,” said Deputy Prime Minister David Lami, emphasizing that recognition is part of a broader two-state solution strategy.
The move has drawn strong criticism from the Israeli government, families of hostages held in Gaza, and some members of the UK Conservative Party. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described recognition as “rewarding terrorism.”
The UK’s decision represents a significant shift in British policy, which previously held that recognition should only come as part of a peace process at the most effective time. Officials say the move is a moral responsibility to maintain hope for lasting peace.
Recent efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and a durable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have stalled. Israel drew international condemnation after conducting an airstrike on a Hamas negotiation team in Qatar, a country mediating talks.
While largely symbolic, the UK hopes recognition will increase diplomatic pressure to end the conflict in Gaza and help pave the way toward long-term peace.
Starmer has stressed that Hamas will not play a role in governing the Palestinian people and must release the Israeli hostages captured during the October 7, 2023 attack.
Over 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, but decisions by France and the UK carry particular weight as both are G7 members and permanent members of the UN Security Council.
British officials have increasingly expressed concern that a two-state solution is becoming nearly impossible, due not only to the destruction in Gaza and displacement of its population over nearly two years of conflict but also due to Israel’s aggressive expansion of settlements in the West Bank, which Palestinians claim for their future state. The majority of the international community considers Israel’s occupation of the West Bank illegal.
