British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday announced that his nation will recognise the state of Palestine by September, except Israel takes “substantive steps” to finish its conflict on Gaza and decide to a real peace course of.
A authorities assertion launched following an emergency cupboard assembly on Tuesday stated Starmer indicated the popularity may happen earlier than the United Nations Common Meeting (UNGA) in New York.
The UK’s determination comes days after Emmanuel Macron, the French president, stated his nation will recognise the state of Palestine.
Here’s what we all know concerning the announcement and its implications.
What did Starmer say?
Starmer’s announcement is being seen as a giant change in British international coverage.
“I’ve at all times stated we’ll recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a correct peace course of, for the time being of most influence for the two-state answer,” Starmer stated.
“With that answer now underneath risk, that is the second to behave.”
He added: “So as we speak, as a part of this course of in direction of peace, I can verify that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations Common Meeting in September, except the Israeli authorities takes substantive steps to finish the appalling state of affairs in Gaza.”
Britain’s International Secretary David Lammy, attending a UN convention in New York led by France and Saudi Arabia to advertise the two-state answer, echoed the sentiment.
Lammy stated it was “with the hand of historical past on our shoulders” that London deliberate to recognise Palestinian statehood, given Britain’s pivotal position in Israel’s creation by the 1917 Balfour Declaration.
Why now?
Responding to questions concerning the time of this determination, Starmer cited the “insupportable” circumstances in Gaza and rising alarm over the weakening prospects for a two-state answer.
He stated he wished to make sure that the choice “performs an element in altering the circumstances on the bottom, ensuring that help will get in”.
“It’s accomplished now as a result of I’m significantly involved that the very thought of a two-state answer is lowering, and it feels additional manner as we speak than it has for a few years,” he stated.
The announcement got here after an emergency cupboard assembly, highlighting the rising political stress from inside his Labour Occasion.
The UK prime minister has been going through public stress over Israel’s devastating conflict on Gaza, which consultants and rights organisations have dubbed an act of genocide.
Israel has killed greater than 60,000 Palestinians because it launched its offensive on October 7, 2023. Israel says its army onslaught was in response to the Hamas-led assaults that left at the least 1,139 folks lifeless in Israel, however rights teams have slammed its scorched earth ways in Gaza.
Starmer emphasised that the popularity of Palestine has lengthy been part of Labour Occasion coverage and kinds a central pillar of a broader peace initiative that the federal government has been creating over time.
“As our election manifesto stated, Palestinian statehood is the inalienable proper of the Palestinian folks. It’s not within the present of any neighbour and can also be important to the long-term safety of Israel,” a press release issued by the prime minister’s workplace stated.
“We’re dedicated to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace course of which leads to a two-state answer, with a protected and safe Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.”
What particular circumstances did Starmer set for recognising Palestine?
Starmer laid out a sequence of circumstances he stated Israel should fulfil if it needs the UK to not recognise Palestinian statehood, which embrace:
- Take substantive steps to finish the appalling state of affairs in Gaza
- Comply with a ceasefire
- Decide to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state answer
- Permit the UN to restart the provision of help
- Clarify there will likely be no annexations within the West Financial institution.
The prime minister additionally reiterated the calls for that stay in place for Hamas, that are:
- Launch all captives
- Signal as much as a ceasefire
- Decide to disarmament
- Acknowledge that they are going to play no half within the authorities of Gaza.
The UK authorities will assess the extent to which the 2 events, Israel and Hamas, have met its circumstances earlier than taking a name in September.
What does recognising Palestine as a state imply, and which different nations have accomplished so?
As of now, the State of Palestine is recognised as a sovereign nation by 147 of the 193 UN member states, about 75 p.c of the worldwide neighborhood.
Three different European nations, Spain, Eire, and Norway, formally recognised Palestine final yr.
France will recognise a Palestinian state in the course of the UNGA in September.
Based on consultants, the popularity could have restricted sensible impact, however diplomatically, it might be vital, probably pressuring the US, one in every of Israel’s predominant backers, to rethink its stance.
“Even when this isn’t a giant step within the humanitarian sense – if you’re ravenous in Gaza, these phrases of diplomats and politicians possibly don’t matter that a lot – however diplomatically, that is huge. And what actually struck me was the specificity of Starmer’s calls for,” William Lawrence, a former US diplomat, advised Al Jazeera.
“And if the entire world, all flip to Trump with that form of particular define and customary trigger, it is going to affect Trump. All of this issues, even when it doesn’t repair the issue instantaneously. Everyone seems to be shifting in the fitting path now, each when it comes to pressuring Israel and when it comes to pressuring the USA,” Lawrence added.
Is the UK actually getting ready to recognise Palestine, and why now?
Based on Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic, Starmer is at present underneath vital stress.
“He’s underneath lots of stress, domestically, right here from the general public, in addition to from his personal members of parliament to make some transfer on this challenge; folks have been moved by these pictures of individuals ravenous in the previous few days,” Veselinovic stated whereas reporting from London.
Final week, 221 members of parliament from 9 political events signed a letter addressed to Starmer and International Secretary David Lammy, urging them to recognise a Palestinian state. That quantity has since risen to 255.
221 MPs, from 9 events, have despatched a joint letter to the Prime Minister & International Secretary urging them to recognise Palestine as a state now pic.twitter.com/b2hbX2XCGR
— Sarah Champion (@SarahChampionMP) July 25, 2025
Veselinovic added that the UK shouldn’t be promising to recognise a Palestinian state.
“[This is not] like when the French President Macron stated he’ll try this, he’ll recognise the Palestine state in September, this can be a manner of stress that the UK authorities is hoping to use on the Israeli authorities to attempt to enhance the circumstances on the bottom in Gaza,” she added.
Will it have any sensible impact on the state of affairs in Gaza?
Lammy, the UK international secretary, stated the transfer will hopefully “have an effect on the state of affairs on the bottom” and result in a ceasefire in Gaza.
The world had seen “probably the most horrific scenes” in Gaza and the time had come to “abate the struggling of the Palestinian folks”, he stated talking on the UN.
Scepticism, nonetheless, stays excessive as some query the sincerity behind current bulletins.
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Bishara stated leaders, together with Starmer and Macron, proceed to help Israel in its conflict on Gaza.
“We have to see some measures being taken different than simply lofty rhetoric, as a result of they’re in no place to be speaking about peace and justice when they’re accomplices in genocide,” he stated.
Bishara additionally criticised the dearth of specifics from the 2 leaders once they introduced their plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
“Is it a state in 10 p.c of the West Financial institution? Or is it a state on all territories occupied in 1967 – together with East Jerusalem, the West Financial institution and Gaza – as contiguous sovereign territories?” he added.
How has Israel responded?
“Starmer rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims,” Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu stated on X.
Israel’s Ministry of International Affairs additionally stated the UK transfer “harms efforts to attain a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the discharge of hostages”, including that Starmer’s announcement adopted “the French transfer and inner political pressures”.
France turned the primary G7 member to announce its intention to recognise a Palestinian state, with President Macron describing the choice as a part of the nation’s “historic dedication to a simply and lasting peace within the Center East”.
Israel rejects the assertion by the Prime Minister of the UK.
The shift within the British authorities’s place right now, following the French transfer and inner political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to attain a ceasefire in Gaza and… pic.twitter.com/CG2tueCYRe
— Israel International Ministry (@IsraelMFA) July 29, 2025
