Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday that the United Kingdom will formally recognize the State of Palestine by September unless Israel takes meaningful steps to end its military campaign in Gaza and moves toward a ceasefire.
The announcement came during a press briefing following a Cabinet meeting, where Starmer reiterated the UK’s support for a two-state solution and placed new pressure on the Israeli government.
“I have always said that we will recognize a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution,” Starmer told reporters, per CNN.
He continued, “I can confirm the UK will recognize the State of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September, unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.”
The statement marks the clearest signal yet from the new Labour government that it is prepared to break from Washington’s traditional alignment with Israel if diplomatic conditions fail to improve. Starmer made the comments after holding a Cabinet meeting convened just one day after he stood alongside President Donald Trump in Scotland, where both leaders condemned the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
Starmer noted that the British public had been “revolted” by images of starvation and devastation, increasing the urgency for action. “This cannot continue,” he said.
The Labour leader has come under growing pressure from his own party to adopt a firmer stance on the conflict, especially in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent pledge that France would recognize Palestinian statehood in September. If followed through, France would be the first G7 nation to do so, a move that has shifted diplomatic momentum across Europe.
The announcement came during a press briefing following a Cabinet meeting, where Starmer reiterated the UK’s support for a two-state solution and placed new pressure on the Israeli government.
“I have always said that we will recognize a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution,” Starmer told reporters, per CNN.
He continued, “I can confirm the UK will recognize the State of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September, unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.”
The statement marks the clearest signal yet from the new Labour government that it is prepared to break from Washington’s traditional alignment with Israel if diplomatic conditions fail to improve. Starmer made the comments after holding a Cabinet meeting convened just one day after he stood alongside President Donald Trump in Scotland, where both leaders condemned the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.
Starmer noted that the British public had been “revolted” by images of starvation and devastation, increasing the urgency for action. “This cannot continue,” he said.
The Labour leader has come under growing pressure from his own party to adopt a firmer stance on the conflict, especially in the wake of French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent pledge that France would recognize Palestinian statehood in September. If followed through, France would be the first G7 nation to do so, a move that has shifted diplomatic momentum across Europe.
