The UK is set to recognise a Palestinian state with Prime Minister Keir Starmer due to make the announcement today, marking a historic policy shift amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Starmer first warned in July that Britain would move towards recognising a Palestinian state unless Israel agreed to a ceasefire and committed to a two-state solution. Those conditions were not met, with Israel’s leadership rejecting negotiations since the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023.
The anticipated move represents a dramatic reversal of decades of British foreign policy. Successive governments had maintained that recognition should only take place within a wider peace process and “at a time of maximum impact.” By acting now, ministers say the UK is fulfilling a moral responsibility to keep alive hopes for a long-term peace.
UK government officials cited the worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza and the collapse of ceasefire talks. A recent Israeli strike targeting a Hamas negotiating team in Qatar drew international condemnation, while images of mass starvation and violence convinced ministers that “intolerable” suffering demanded action. Israel’s latest ground offensive in Gaza City was described by a UN official as “cataclysmic” and has forced hundreds of thousands to flee.
Nearly two years of war have devastated Gaza. According to figures from the health ministry, at least 65,208 Palestinians have been killed, while much of the territory’s infrastructure has been reduced to rubble. Retired commander of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi, has also acknowledged the staggering human cost of the conflict, confirming that more than 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded since the genocide began nearly two years ago.
Ministers also highlighted Israel’s settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank as a key factor in the decision. Critics warn the controversial E1 settlement project could permanently close the door on a viable and contiguous Palestinian state.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy acknowledged recognition would not “feed children” or “free hostages,” but insisted it was necessary to hold out for a two-state solution. He described the Palestinian cause as a “just cause” and said timing was based squarely on “what’s happening on the ground.”
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A shift under pressure
Starmer’s expected move comes after mounting pressure inside and outside his party. More than half of Labour MPs signed a letter demanding immediate recognition, with many facing strong demands from Muslim communities and student constituencies angered by Labour’s handling of Gaza. Several cabinet ministers also pushed the prime minister to deliver on Labour’s manifesto promise.
The decision was timed to coincide with this week’s UN General Assembly where several Western states are expected to follow suit. France became the first G7 country to announce it would recognise a Palestinian state in September, and Canada, Portugal, and Australia are preparing similar steps. Spain, Ireland, and Norway took the decision last year.
For Palestinians, the prospect of recognition was welcomed by President Mahmoud Abbas, who recently met Starmer in London. Downing Street said both leaders agreed Hamas should have no role in Palestine’s future governance.
U.S. and Israeli rejection
Britain’s anticipated move places it directly at odds with the United States. During a state visit to London, President Donald Trump voiced his disapproval, calling it “one of our few disagreements” with the UK. Washington continues to oppose recognition outside of a negotiated settlement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the plan, claiming it “rewards terror.” Hostage families urged Starmer to delay recognition until the 48 Israelis still held in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be alive, were returned. They warned the decision had “dramatically complicated efforts” to secure a deal.
Britain’s Chief Zionist Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, also called for a pause, arguing recognition was not contingent on even the “most basic commitment to a peaceful future.”
Palestinian reaction
The Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom welcomed the announcement, calling it a “historic decision” and a fulfilment of Britain’s long-delayed responsibility. Ambassador Husam Zomlot said recognition marked an “irreversible step towards justice, peace, and the correction of historic wrongs, including Britain’s colonial legacy, the Balfour Declaration, and its role in the dispossession of the Palestinian people.”
He added that recognition “must now be followed by action,” including sanctions, a full arms embargo, and accountability for war crimes. Zomlot expressed gratitude to the UK government and parliamentarians who supported the decision, while stressing that the moment belonged to the Palestinian people whose resilience had made recognition possible.
Empty gesture or historic justice?
Supporters of the move argue that recognition by Britain and France, both permanent members of the UN Security Council and historic colonial powers in the Middle East, carries unique weight. Britain’s role in the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which promised a homeland for the Jewish people while pledging not to prejudice Palestinian rights, has left an enduring mark on the region.
However, critics inside Westminster dismissed the decision as symbolic. Some Conservative MPs branded it “political posturing” that would neither deliver a ceasefire nor bring hostages home. One Labour MP described it as a “nice political gesture that doesn’t butter any parsnips.”
Labour backbenchers also demanded tougher action, including halting all arms exports and imposing trade sanctions on Israel. Dr Simon Opher, a Labour MP recently barred from entering Israel, said recognition had failed to secure concessions from Tel Aviv and should now be followed by an end to defence cooperation.
Government ministers reject the charge of symbolism, pointing to the first statement from Arab nations demanding Hamas disarm as evidence that Britain’s recognition could shift the regional debate. Officials at the Foreign Office argued that Palestinian statehood is a right “not dependent on Hamas.”
More than 140 countries worldwide already recognise Palestine, yet the state lacks agreed borders, a capital, or armed forces. Britain’s expected decision adds symbolic momentum but will not change the reality on the ground, where most of Gaza’s population remains displaced under Israeli bombardment.
Some Labour MPs warned that by “playing its final diplomatic card,” Britain risked driving Israelis further from a peace process. Others countered that Labour had been “behind the curve” for too long and that better late than never still applied.
As Starmer prepares for the Labour Party conference, the recognition may calm unrest within the party’s grassroots, which has been sharply critical of his Gaza stance. Whether it will alter the genocide’s trajectory, or Britain’s strained relations with Israel and Washington, remains an open question.
