 "‘The Suffering Must End’: Britain Joins France, PM Starmer Vows To Recognise Palestine At UN")
UK will recognise Palestinian state unless Israel meets conditions, says Keir Starmer. (Photo: Screen grab/BBC) London/New York: The global map could soon change. And two of the West’s most powerful nations are preparing to redraw it. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the United Kingdom will recognise the State of Palestine at the September United Nations General Assembly session, unless Israel takes concrete steps to halt its military campaign in Gaza and engage in a long-term peace process.
The statement follows France’s recent pledge to do the same, setting up what could become a seismic diplomatic shift in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“In Gaza, because of a catastrophic failure of aid, we see starving babies, children too weak to stand, images that will stay with us for a lifetime. The suffering must end,” said Starmer, who confirmed that he discussed the issue with U.S. President Donald Trump just a day earlier.
“Ultimately, the only way to bring this humanitarian crisis to an end is through a long-term settlement,” he said.
VIDEO | UK PM Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) says, "On the October 7, 2023, Hamas perpetrated the worst massacre in Israel's history. Every day since then, the horror has continued. The hostages are still being held today. The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering.… pic.twitter.com/q7hHFddb4L
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 29, 2025
The announcement comes at a moment of mounting pressure as 255 British MPs, including 147 from Starmer’s own Labour Party, had signed a letter urging immediate recognition of Palestine.
Labour MP Sarah Champion, chair of the international development select committee and organiser of the letter, described recognition as a critical step to give “substance” to the UK’s long-held support for a two-state solution.
“This remains the only viable proposal to secure a lasting peace for the region,” Champion said.
At the United Nations in New York, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy carried the message further.
“Let me be clear: the Netanyahu government rejection of the two-state solution is wrong. It is wrong morally and it is wrong strategically. His Majesty’s Government therefore intends to recognise the State of Palestine when the U.N. General Assembly gathers in September,” he declared in his UN speech.
The speech echoed Starmer’s position. Recognition would move forward unless Israel takes real and observable steps toward de-escalation.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded within hours, calling the decision “a reward for Hamas”.
“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,” the statement read.
Israel has consistently argued that international recognition of Palestinian statehood without security guarantees for Israelis would embolden Hamas and undercut ceasefire negotiations.
This week, Hamas negotiators halted talks, citing ongoing blockade and starvation in Gaza. Israel had earlier pulled out of talks in Qatar for internal consultations.
The United States, too, has withdrawn its team, saying Hamas is not acting in good faith.
In Washington, President Donald Trump took a more ambivalent tone. When asked about Starmer’s statement, he said he had “no view” on Palestinian statehood.
“We are going to get a lot of money to the area so they get some food. I think the European Union is going to put up money for food. Hopefully, it is going to be properly distributed,” Trump said.
Pressed on Starmer’s stance, he shrugged, “I am not going to take a position. I do not mind him taking a position. I am looking for getting people fed right now.”
The U.S. State Department, however, took a sharper stance against France’s move last week. In an official statement, it said, “Recognition reflects a pattern of counterproductive gestures that only embolden Hamas, encourage its obstruction of a ceasefire and greatly undercut our diplomatic efforts.”
Back in the United Kingdom, not everyone supports the prime minister’s dramatic shift.
Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative opposition, slammed the move as “political posturing at its very worst”. In a social media post, she wrote, “Recognising a Palestinian state won’t bring the hostages home, won’t end the war and won’t get aid into Gaza.”
Badenoch also criticised Starmer for “recalling ministers during Parliament’s summer recess to try and sort out a political problem for the Labour Party”.
As politics play out in parliaments and on podiums, the humanitarian cost in Gaza keeps rising.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its offensive in response to the October 7 Hamas attacks.
The UN-backed food security body says the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in the strip.
Israel denies there are restrictions on aid, claiming there is “no starvation” and that humanitarian access is permitted.
Echoing several U.N. agencies, Starmer, however, said reality on the ground tells a different story. “We need to see at least 500 aid trucks entering Gaza every day,” he said, adding that U.K. airdrops of food and medical supplies had already begun.
About 140 countries already recognise the State of Palestine. Spain, Ireland and Norway formalised recognition last year. Now, France and the United Kingdom, two permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, are preparing to do the same.
President Emmanuel Macron recently confirmed that France will formally recognise Palestine at the U.N. session in September, unless there’s dramatic change on the ground.
Recognition at the United Nations may not end the war. But it will redraw the moral and political lines across the international stage and set a precedent hard to undo.
The countdown to September has begun. And so has a new chapter in the world’s most enduring conflict.
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