In a statement posted on X, Khan described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “absolutely harrowing,” urging stronger intervention by the international community. “Starving children searching hopelessly for food in the rubble. Family members shot dead by Israeli soldiers as they search for aid," he wrote. “The international community – including our own government – must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific, senseless killing and let vital, life-saving aid in. Nothing justifies the actions of the Israeli government.”
He continued: “The UK must immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. There can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state to call Palestine.”
The UK government has said it would recognize Palestine as part of a broader peace process, ideally alongside other Western allies and “at the point of maximum impact,” though a timeline has not been set for when that would come.
Inside the Labour Party, pressure has been building. Nearly 60 Labour MPs recently signed a letter demanding immediate recognition of Palestine, according to The Guardian, following controversial remarks by Israel’s defence minister about relocating Gaza’s population to the ruins of Rafah.
A number of senior UK ministers have also reportedly pushed Prime Minister Starmer in cabinet meetings to make recognition a diplomatic tool to hold Israel accountable. According to reports, growing restlessness is growing through parts of the cabinet in recent weeks, especially as images and reports of mass hunger and civilian casualties in Gaza continue.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting voiced concern that recognition should happen “while there’s still a state of Palestine left to recognise,” and said Israeli military operations “go well beyond legitimate self-defence.”
Khan's latest remarks are not the first time he has diverged from party leadership. In June, he broke ranks to oppose proposed changes to disability benefits, aligning himself with Labour members who eventually defeated the plan.
Khan, who has served three terms as mayor, is not expected to run for a fourth term, which has given him more room to speak freely on national issues.
