How significant is UK’s move to recognise Palestinian state, and why now?

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine in September, amid famine situation in Gaza.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday announced that his country will recognise the state of Palestine by September, unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to end its war on Gaza and commit to a genuine peace process.

A government statement released following an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday said Starmer indicated the recognition could take place before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

The United Kingdom’s decision comes days after Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said his country will recognise the state of Palestine.

Here is what we know about the announcement and its implications.

Starmer’s announcement is being seen as a big change in British foreign policy.

“I’ve always said we will recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution,” Starmer said.

“With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act.”

He added: “So today, as part of this process towards peace, I can confirm that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September, unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza.”

Responding to questions about the time of this decision, Starmer cited the “intolerable” conditions in Gaza and growing alarm over the weakening prospects for a two-state solution.

He said he wanted to ensure that the decision “plays a part in changing the conditions on the ground, making sure that aid gets in”.

“It’s done now because I am particularly concerned that the very idea of a two-state solution is reducing, and it feels further way today than it has for many years,” he said.

The announcement came after an emergency cabinet meeting, highlighting the growing political pressure from within his Labour Party.

The UK prime minister has been facing public pressure over Israel’s devastating war on Gaza, which experts and rights organisations have dubbed an act of genocide.

What did Starmer say?

Israel has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians since it launched its offensive on October 7, 2023. Israel says its military onslaught was in response to the Hamas-led attacks that left at least 1,139 people dead in Israel, but rights groups have slammed its scorched earth tactics in Gaza.

Starmer emphasised that the recognition of Palestine has long been a part of Labour Party policy and forms a central pillar of a broader peace initiative that the government has been developing over time.

Starmer laid out a series of conditions he said Israel must fulfil if it wishes the UK not to recognise Palestinian statehood, which include:

The prime minister also reiterated the demands that remain in place for Hamas, which are:

The UK government will assess the extent to which the two parties, Israel and Hamas, have met its conditions before taking a call in September.

As of now, the State of Palestine is recognised as a sovereign nation by 147 of the 193 UN member states, about 75 percent of the international community.

Three other European countries, Spain, Ireland, and Norway, officially recognised Palestine last year.

France will recognise a Palestinian state during the UNGA in September.

According to experts, the recognition may have limited practical effect, but diplomatically, it could be significant, potentially pressuring the US, one of Israel’s main backers, to reconsider its stance.

“Even if this is not a big step in the humanitarian sense – if you are starving in Gaza, these words of diplomats and politicians maybe don’t matter that much – but diplomatically, this is massive. And what really struck me was the specificity of Starmer’s demands,” William Lawrence, a former US diplomat, told media.

“And if the whole world, all turn to Trump with that sort of specific outline and common cause, it will have an effect on Trump. All of this matters, even if it doesn’t fix the problem instantaneously. Everyone is moving in the right direction now, both in terms of pressuring Israel and in terms of pressuring the United States,” Lawrence added.