UK Says It Will Recognize Palestine If Israel Doesn't Take 'Substantive Steps' to End War

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that if Israel and Hamas fail to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, the UK will recognize a Palestinian state in September. 

The Details: His remarks on Tuesday follow French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced last week that France would recognize a Palestinian state in September. Starmer called on Israel to commit to peace, including “allowing the U.N. to restart the supply of aid, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.” He also urged Hamas to release the remaining hostages, disarm, and comply with a ceasefire agreement. While the Palestinian Authority welcomed the statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and families of the hostages were more critical. Netanyahu said the announcement “rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism and punishes its victims.”

For Context: Over 140 countries recognize Palestine as a state, but France and the UK are significant as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and the Group of Seven (G7). Starmer's decision came a day after he met with US President Donald Trump in Scotland, where Trump said he was concerned about starvation in Gaza. On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada, another G7 country, will also recognize a Palestinian state in September. 

How The Media Covered It: Associated Press (Left bias) said, "The two countries hope their bold – if largely symbolic – diplomatic moves will help add pressure on Israel to ease a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza and breathe life into a moribund peace process." The Washington Examiner (Lean Right) noted Starmer's decision came just after Trump expressed his concerns in a break from Netanyahu, while Associated Press said Starmer's approach "may be designed to persuade Donald Trump to take a tougher line with his ally Netanyahu." A Foreign Affairs (Center) piece noted the recognition could trigger a cascade of support and "help anchor the debate about the conflict in international law." A Bloomberg (Lean Left) opinion argued that Macron and Starmer's choices wouldn't help Palestine and were "primarily for domestic political reasons." 

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