Israel fiercely opposes the UK’s formal recognition of the Palestinian State

Sir Keir Starmer emphasized that the UK’s recognition of Palestine was a step toward peace rather than Hamas.

The formal recognition of the state of Palestine by the United Kingdom has been characterized by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as a critical step to maintain the possibility of peace and a two-state solution.

Starmer stated in a video statement that was uploaded to X: “We are taking action to preserve the possibility of peace and a two-state solution in the face of the growing horror in the Middle East.” Hamas would have “no future, no role in government, no role in security,” he contended, and the recognition “is not a reward for Hamas.”

Calling the “starvation and devastation [in Gaza]” “utterly intolerable,” Starmer emphasized that the action was “a pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people that there can be a better future,” adding that the “death and destruction horrifies all of us.”

In addition to Portugal, Australia, and Canada, the UK has recognized a Palestinian state, and France is anticipated to do the same. “Part of a co-ordinated effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution,” according to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described his nation’s move as offering “partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future.” According to Paulo Rangel, Portugal’s foreign minister, the two-state option is still “the only path to a just and lasting peace.”

The Israeli government has strongly condemned the recognition. A Palestinian state, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “will not happen,” and the UK and others are “giving a huge reward to terrorism.” US and Israeli officials contended that the ruling was a diplomatic gain for Hamas after its October 7, 2023, onslaught that claimed 1,200 lives and resulted in the hostage-taking of 251 more.

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, praised the action and said it will assist facilitate the “existence of the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel in terms of security, peace, and good neighborliness.”

The Foreign Office claims that the UK officially acknowledges Palestinian statehood over 1967-line-based temporary borders, with land swaps to be finalized in subsequent discussions. The two-state solution aims to establish an independent Palestinian state along the pre-1967 war lines in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem serving as its capital.

Although a state of Palestine does not yet have a capital, an army, or internationally defined borders, it is currently recognized by almost 75% of UN members, making recognition primarily symbolic.

Starmer had previously stated that Israel must take “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace” before the UN General Assembly meeting next week could recognize the country. 

A ceasefire talks are breaking down, and anger is growing following an Israeli airstrike on a Hamas negotiating delegation in Qatar, but peace efforts are still at a standstill.