UK PM Starmer faces pressure to recognise Palestine amid Gaza crisis

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure from senior members of his government and French President Emmanuel Macron to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state amid the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Several cabinet ministers, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, have urged Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy to accelerate the UK’s support for Palestinian statehood. These calls come amid mounting frustration within the government over Starmer’s reluctance to fulfil his earlier promise to back Palestinian recognition, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The pressure intensified after Macron announced France’s plan to recognise Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, calling on Starmer to follow suit. Starmer has reiterated that Palestinian statehood is an “inalienable right,” but has stopped short of committing to a timeline, linking recognition to the establishment of a ceasefire.

Ceasefire talks in Gaza collapsed on July 24 following the withdrawal of US and Israeli negotiating teams, further complicating efforts to end the conflict. The breakdown comes weeks after US President Donald Trump claimed a deal was near.

Reports of severe hunger and malnutrition in Gaza, despite a recent European Union agreement aimed at easing food supplies, have added to the urgency. Humanitarian organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières, accuse Israel of failing to uphold the agreement, while Israel blames Hamas for the crisis. Since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, the Netanyahu government has taken a harder line against Palestinian statehood, citing security concerns.

The conflict has resulted in an estimated 59,000 deaths in Gaza and widespread destruction, prompting some European allies of Israel to call for trade sanctions to pressure an end to hostilities. The UK has already suspended certain arms exports to Israel and sanctioned members of Netanyahu’s administration.

Prominent Labour figures have warned that any recognition at the UN in September may come too late, given the scale of devastation. Health Secretary Streeting publicly urged recognition “while there is still a state of Palestine left to recognise,” and London Mayor Sadiq Khan called on the UK government to “do far more to pressure the Israeli government.”

The UK is expected to be represented at a United Nations conference on the conflict convened by France and Saudi Arabia next week, although it remains unclear whether Lammy or a junior minister will attend. The summit will focus on ceasefire efforts and a two-state solution, but formal recognition of Palestine by France is planned for UNGA in September.

By Vugar Khalilov