The United Kingdom has said it will formally recognise Palestine as an independent state in September, unless Israel meets a set of specific conditions before then.
The announcement was made by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer following an emergency cabinet meeting on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This came shortly after he held talks with US President Donald Trump.
Sir Keir stated that the UK will move forward with the recognition ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in September unless Israel takes clear steps towards peace. These include a ceasefire and tangible efforts to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
This development follows a similar announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron last week, who confirmed that France would recognise a Palestinian state in September, becoming the first G7 country to do so.
Ireland, Spain, and Norway had already recognised Palestine as a state in 2023.
Reacting to the UK’s position, Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the move, accusing the British government of acting under internal political pressure and aligning with France.
In a statement, the ministry said, “The change in the UK’s stance at this moment rewards Hamas and undermines the push for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.”
