The United Kingdom will recognise a Palestinian state at a United Nations meeting in September unless Israel takes “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza” including agreeing a ceasefire. The announcement was made by the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, following an emergency meeting of his cabinet.
It adds to growing international calls to move rapidly towards the creation of a Palestinian state. They have been fuelled by outrage over the suffering in Gaza and a widespread view that the Israel-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved without implementation of the long-proposed two-state solution.
Around 140 countries have formally recognised a Palestinian state. France recently became the first permanent member of the UN Security Council and G7 country to say it would do so at the UN meeting in September.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu condemned the UK announcement, saying it “rewards Hamas” and punishes its victims.
It came as A UN-backed food security body gas warned that “the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in Gaza. Israel insists there are no restrictions on aid deliveries and no starvation there. It blames Hamas for problems with aid deliveries there.
Earlier, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said more than 60,000 Palestinians had been killed since Israel began its offensive in the territory following the Hamas attacks of October 2023.
Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Hugo Bachega, Paul Adams, Alex Forsyth and Jeremy Bowen.
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