UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce the recognition of Palestine as a state today, according to British media.
In July, Starmer stated he would formally recognise a Palestinian state ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, scheduled for next week, if the situation in the region did not improve. With Israel’s ongoing military offensive in Gaza, a worsening humanitarian crisis, and plans to accelerate settlement expansion in the West Bank, the British government is now expected to conclude that conditions have indeed deteriorated.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, representing the UK at the General Assembly, attributed the move to the violence by Israeli settlers and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He specifically criticised the controversial “E1” settlement project between East Jerusalem and Maale Adumim, warning it would undermine the feasibility of a two-state solution by bisecting the West Bank into disconnected northern and southern regions.
The UK government has also stressed the need for the release of Israeli hostages and reiterated that Hamas should have no role in any future governance of Gaza. It is expected to impose stricter sanctions on the group.
“The humanitarian situation is simply dire, and we continue to press Israel to address the malnutrition and famine we are witnessing, as well as to open more points for aid to enter Gaza,” Lammy said.
During his state visit to the UK last week, US President Donald Trump unequivocally expressed opposition to the British Prime Minister’s decision to recognise Palestine. Reports suggest Starmer delayed his announcement to avoid disrupting the state visit.
