UK says it will recognise Palestine unless Israel agrees to Gaza ceasefire
Starmer said that Tel Aviv must also meet other conditions such as agreeing to a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory, committing to a long-term sustainable peace that revives the prospect of the two-state solution and allowing the United Nations to resume the supply of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
If the conditions are not met, the UK will take the steps towards recognising Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Starmer's decision rewards Palestinian militant group Hamas' 'monstrous terrorism' and 'punishes its victims'.
'A jihadist state on Israel's border today will threaten Britain tomorrow,' Netanyahu said. 'Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.'
As of March, Palestine was recognised as a sovereign state by 147 out of the 193 United Nations members. Palestine has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations General Assembly since 2012.
Starmer's announcement came four days after France said that it will recognise the Palestinian state. President Emmanuel Macron had said on Friday that the formal announcement will be made before the UN General Assembly in September.
With this, France will become the first among the Group of Seven nations to recognise Palestine. The UK is also a member of the G7.
Israel's military offensive in Gaza began in October 2023 after Hamas killed 1,200 persons during its incursion into southern Israel and took hostages. Israel has been carrying out unprecedented air and ground strikes on Gaza since then, leaving more than 61,000 persons dead.
Tel Aviv has also enforced a severe blockade on humanitarian aid, which UN officials say has brought the population to the verge of famine.
Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks. Earlier efforts to reinstate a brief ceasefire that took effect in January had stalled due to major disagreements between the two sides.
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