**UK Recognises Palestinian State Amid Ongoing Conflict: A Comprehensive Overview**
In a landmark shift in British foreign policy, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced that the United Kingdom now formally recognises the State of Palestine. This decision, made public through a video statement on X (formerly Twitter), marks a significant departure from the UK’s previous stance of supporting Palestinian statehood only as an outcome of negotiations. The move comes at a turbulent moment in the Middle East, as violence and humanitarian crises continue to devastate Gaza and the West Bank.
### The Announcement and Its Significance
Sir Keir Starmer, in his address, underscored the urgency of the situation: “In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution.” The two-state solution refers to the long-standing proposal to create an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, with internationally recognised borders based on the 1967 lines—including the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
The UK’s recognition is part of a coordinated international move, with Australia and Canada making similar announcements, and Portugal and France expected to follow suit. This coordination reflects a renewed push among Western allies to revive hopes for peace amidst one of the most severe escalations in the Israel-Palestine conflict in decades.
### International and Domestic Reactions
**Israeli Response:** The Israeli government has reacted with anger and dismay to the UK’s decision. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that a Palestinian state “will not happen,” accusing the UK and other recognising countries of “giving a huge reward to terrorism.” Both Israeli and US officials argue that extending recognition now amounts to a diplomatic gift to Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza and carried out the deadly attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the taking of 251 hostages.
**UK Government’s Position:** Sir Keir Starmer has firmly rejected the accusation that UK recognition is a reward for Hamas. He stated that the recognition is a commitment to peace and that Hamas “can have no future, no role in government, no role in security.” Starmer emphasised that a genuine two-state solution runs counter to the extremist vision of Hamas, and that the UK’s decision is a pledge to both Palestinians and Israelis that a better future remains possible. He also drew attention to the suffering in Gaza, describing the “starvation and devastation” as “utterly intolerable” and the ongoing “death and destruction” as horrifying.
**Palestinian Response:** Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the UK’s decision, noting that it would help pave the way for “the state of Palestine to live side by side with the state of Israel in security, peace and good neighbourliness.” Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian Authority’s UK representative, called the move an “inalienable right” and a correction of historical injustice, remarking that the question should be why the UK did not recognise Palestine sooner.
**Other International Reactions:** Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney framed Canada’s recognition as an offer of “partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future” for both Palestinians and Israelis. In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the move as part of a “co-ordinated effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution.”
### Context: The Humanitarian Crisis and Stalled Peace Process
The UK’s announcement comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza reaches critical levels. Recent weeks have seen a dramatic escalation in violence, with Israeli military operations causing widespread displacement and destruction. On the day of the announcement, the Gaza health ministry reported that 71 people were killed and 304 injured in Israeli attacks in just 24 hours. A recent ground operation in Gaza City, described by a UN official as “cataclysmic,” has forced hundreds of thousands to flee. According to the Gaza health ministry, over 65,000 people have been killed in the nearly two-year conflict.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire have repeatedly faltered. Israel recently faced international condemnation after an airstrike targeted a Hamas negotiating team in Qatar. The UK government cited worsening conditions on the ground—including images of starvation and violence—as a key factor in its decision to move forward with recognition now.
A UN commission of inquiry recently concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in