LONDON — The UK is expected to recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday, two days before the UN General Assembly session begins, after Israel failed to meet the conditions set by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in July, including an end to its genocidal war in Gaza and allowing greater aid into the enclave.
According to reports, Starmer is set to make the announcement after concluding the humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly in the past few weeks in Gaza.
In July, Starmer said 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 offensive and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the UK government is alarmed at plans to expand illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank which ministers fear will end any hope of a two-state solution.
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.”
Lammy added: “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 into Gaza, and we are very concerned about this continued offensive into Gaza City.”
High-level meetings at the UN summit involving world leaders begin on 23 September.
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 occupation opposes these terms.
The State of Palestine is currently recognised by 147 of the UN’s 193 member states.
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