UK plans to recognise Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes action

By Andrew MacAskill and William James

LONDON, July 29 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday Britain was prepared to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly in response to growing public anger over the images of starving children in Gaza.

Starmer spoke a day after talks in Scotland with U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he did "not mind" if Britain recognised a Palestinian state, though Washington - Israel's closest ally - has long declined to do so.

Britain, if it acts, would become the second Western power on the U.N. Security Council to do so after France last week, reflecting Israel's deepening isolation over its conduct in its war against Hamas in Gaza, where a humanitarian disaster has set in and the Palestinian death toll has risen above 60,000.

Starmer said Britain would make the move unless Israel took substantive steps to allow more aid to enter Gaza, made clear there will be no annexation of the West Bank and committed to a long-term peace process that delivers a "two-state solution" - a Palestinian state co-existing in peace alongside Israel.

"The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering," Starmer told reporters. "Now, 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."

Starmer held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before making his announcement, said a source, who asked not to be named.

In response, Israel's foreign ministry said in a post on X that Britain's move constitutes a "reward for Hamas" and would harm efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.

The sight of emaciated Gaza children has shocked the world in recent days. Earlier on Tuesday, a hunger monitor warned that worst-case scenario of famine was unfolding in Gaza and immediate action was needed to avoid widespread death.

Israel has denied pursuing a policy of starvation. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Tuesday the situation in Gaza was "tough" but there were lies circulating about starvation there.

With international criticism intensifying, Israel announced steps over the weekend to ease aid access. But the U.N. World Food Programme said it was not getting the permissions it needed to deliver enough aid.

PARTY PRESSURE

Starmer's decision marks a striking reversal in policy after he last week disappointed many in his party by rejecting calls to recognise a Palestinian state, saying the timing must be right as part of a wider peace process.

In recent days, Starmer has been increasingly vocal about the crisis in Gaza, saying this week that the people there faced an "absolute catastrophe" and the British public were "revolted" by the scenes of mass hunger and desperation.

Starmer said that before taking a final decision his government would make an assessment in September on "how far the parties have met these steps", but that no one would have a veto over the decision.

He spoke after recalling his cabinet during the summer holidays on Tuesday to discuss a new proposed peace plan being worked on with other European leaders and how to deliver more humanitarian aid for Gaza's 2.2 million people.

Successive British governments have said they will formally recognise a Palestinian state when the time is right, without ever setting a timetable or specifying the necessary conditions.

Some lawmakers in Britain's governing Labour Party said they thought Starmer had been reluctant to formally recognise a Palestinian state because it would mean distancing itself from the position of its closest ally, the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called France's announcement last week recognising a Palestinian state a "reckless decision".

China and Russia are the only other world powers that are permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to recognise a Palestinian state.

SHIFTING POSITIONS

The issue of recognition for a Palestinian state - seen as a powerful diplomatic lever to put pressure on Israel - came to the fore after President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France would recognise Palestine as a state in territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel and staunch supporter the United States blasted France's move, branding it a reward for Palestinian Hamas militants who ran Gaza and whose attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 triggered the current war.

At the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, when Starmer was the opposition leader, he fully backed Israel's right to defend itself. But his stance has shifted over the years to a tougher approach to Israel, especially since his election as prime minister just over a year ago.

His government dropped the previous government’s challenge over arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has suspended some weapon sales to Israel.

Last month, Britain sanctioned two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians.