Keir Starmer faces calls from senior government officials for the UK to swiftly recognise Palestine as a state, as international criticism mounts over the deaths of civilians in Gaza facing severe shortages of food and aid.
Reports suggest the prime minister has been pressed in multiple high-level meetings in recent months, with ministers urging the UK to take a leading position in formalising recognition.
While the UK intends to acknowledge Palestine as part of a broader peace agreement, officials have stated this would only happen alongside other Western nations and at a moment considered most impactful—though the specifics of such timing remain unclear.
However, frustration and distress within the government have intensified in recent weeks due to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, including attacks on civilians struggling to access food and on humanitarian organisations.
“Recognising Palestinian statehood is a critical gesture that can only happen once. If not now, when?” one minister said.
This month, nearly 60 Labour MPs demanded immediate recognition after Israel’s defence minister outlined plans to relocate Gaza residents to a camp in the ruins of Rafah.
Israel faces mounting global condemnation for its operations in Gaza, with the UN secretary-general stating that essential lifelines for survival in the region are collapsing.
During a recent visit to the UK, France’s president told lawmakers that a two-state solution remained essential for regional stability. However, diplomatic sources say resistance from allies, including the UK and Canada, has complicated efforts.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-host a rescheduled UN conference in New York this month to discuss post-conflict arrangements for Gaza and steps toward recognising Palestine.
The UK’s foreign secretary expressed deep distress over reports of shootings targeting hungry Palestinians seeking aid. He reiterated the UK’s commitment to contributing to a two-state solution, including cooperation with France, but noted the current lack of progress.
“We wanted recognition to be part of a structured process. Instead, there has been only chaos. There’s no process to link this recognition to,” he said in a recent interview.
He added that symbolic recognition alone was insufficient, stressing the need for concrete steps toward a future where Palestinians and Israelis live securely.
In a rare parliamentary statement on Gaza, the health secretary urged recognition of Palestine “while there’s still a state left to recognise.”
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