UK set to
recognise Palestinian state on Sunday
Keir
Starmer expected to confirm move after concluding the situation has worsened
significantly in recent weeks
Nadeem
Badshah
Sat 20
Sep 2025 23.13 BST
The UK is
expected to recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday after Israel failed to meet
the conditions set out by Keir Starmer in July.
The prime
minister is to make the announcement after concluding the humanitarian
situation has deteriorated significantly in the past few weeks. The move comes
despite pressure from the US and the families of hostages held by Hamas.
Starmer
said in July he would recognise Palestine before the gathering of world leaders
at the UN general assembly next week if the situation did not improve.
Alongside
the continued military offensive and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the UK
government is alarmed at plans to accelerate Israeli settlements in the West
Bank which ministers fear will end any hope of a two-state solution.
Labour
has sought to stress that recognition of a Palestinian state is not a reward
for Hamas, and emphasised that it would have no role in the future governance
of Gaza. It is expected the government will ratchet up sanctions on Hamas in
due course, and it has stepped up demands for the release of hostages.
David
Lammy, the deputy prime minister who will represent the UK at the general
assembly, said: “It’s important to state that the recognition of a Palestinian
state, it is a consequence of the serious expansion that we’re seeing in the
West Bank, the settler violence that we’re seeing in the West Bank and the
intention and indications that we’re seeing to build, for example, the E1
development that would run a coach and horses through the possibility of a
two-state solution.”
Israel
has ramped up its offensive on Gaza City, including with strikes that health
officials said on Saturday killed at least 14 people overnight. Later in
Israel, thousands of demonstrators joined the families of hostages still being
held by Hamas to demand that Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister,
negotiate an end to the war.
High-level
meetings at the UN summit involving world leaders begin on 23 September.
Starmer has found himself at odds with Donald Trump’s administration over the
move, which is opposed to giving official recognition to the state.
The
Labour leader previously suggested British recognition was conditional and he
would refrain if Israel committed to a ceasefire and long-term sustainable
peace that delivers a two-state solution, and allow the UN to restart the
supply of aid.
All three
conditions are however unlikely to be met given the Israeli government opposes
these terms. The State of Palestine is currently recognised by 147 of the UN’s
193 member states.
Family
members of some of the 48 hostages still in captivity have written an open
letter to Starmer condemning the move.
The
letter said: “Your regrettable announcement of the UK’s intention to recognise
a Palestinian state at the United Nations general assembly has dramatically
complicated efforts to bring home our loved ones.
“Hamas
has already celebrated the UK’s decision as a victory and reneged on a
ceasefire deal. We write to you with a simple plea – do not take this step
until our loved ones are home and in our arms.”
Criticism
also came from opposition parties, with the shadow foreign secretary, Priti
Patel, accusing Starmer of “capitulating” to his backbenchers to shore up his
leadership.
Lammy
added: “In relation to what is happening in Gaza … we’ve got to see the
hostages out. There can be no place, no place at all for Hamas.
“The
humanitarian situation is just desperate and we have continued to press Israel
to deal with the scenes of malnourishment and starvation that we’re seeing, to
open up more sites to get more aid in to Gaza, and we are very concerned about
this continued offensive into Gaza City.”
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