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UK says will recognise Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to ceasefire
The UK Prime Minister also asked Hamas to release Israeli hostages, disarm, and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza.
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that the country will recognise the State of Palestine formally in September, unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and takes other steps to improve humanitarian conditions there, including allowing the United Nations to bring in aid.
“The UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September, unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, and commit to a long-term sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution, and this includes allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid and making clear that there will be no annexations in the West Bank” Starmer said.
Talking about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, he said that babies there are starving because of a “catastrophic failure of aid”. “The suffering must end,” he said.
Starmer also discussed Gaza’s situation with the United States President Donald Trump on Monday and added that aid from the UK was airdropped in Gaza on Tuesday.
Also read: Gaza death toll crosses 60,000, says health ministry as war rages on
“We are supporting the US, Egyptian, and Qatari efforts to secure a vital ceasefire,” Starmer said.
However, Trump said on Tuesday while leaving for the US that the two leaders did not discuss the UK formally recognising Palestinian state, reported Associated Press.
The UK Prime Minister also asked Hamas to release Israeli hostages and disarm.
"They must immediately release all of the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza," he said.
Israel rejects UK’s move
Israel has rejected United Kingdom’s move to recognise the Palestinian state in September, saying "constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza".
“Israel rejects the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages,” Israel’s foreign ministry said in a post on X.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron also announced that the country will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.
"True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine. I will make a formal announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September," the French head of state wrote on X and Instagram.
(With AFP inputs)
