Britain threatens to recognise Palestine ahead of UN General Assembly

By Agencies

LONDON,- Britain will recognize the Palestinian state before the UN General Assembly (GA) session in September if Israel continues to obstruct the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip and carries on with its military operation in the enclave, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

“We are determined to protect the viability of the two-state solution, and so we will recognise the state of Palestine in September before UNGA unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long term sustainable peace, including through allowing the UN to restart without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation, agreeing to a ceasefire, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank,” he said in a statement.

“We will make an assessment ahead of UNGA on how far the parties have met these steps. No one side will have a veto on recognition through their actions or inactions. But recognition by itself will not change the situation on the ground. We are therefore taking additional immediate steps to alleviate the humanitarian situation, including air drops of humanitarian supplies along with Jordan, and getting injured children out of Gaza and into British hospitals alongside pressing strongly for UN deliveries of humanitarian assistance to resume.”

The statement said that London demands “an immediate ceasefire to stop the slaughter, that the UN be allowed to send humanitarian assistance into Gaza on a continuing basis to prevent starvation, and the immediate release of the hostages” held by the Palestinian radical movement Hamas.

Gaza future
The statement reads that Britain “is committed to working together with our international partners to develop a credible peace plan for the next phase in Gaza that establishes transitional governance and security arrangements. This must be accompanied by the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the removal of Hamas leadership from Gaza as key steps towards a negotiated two-state solution.”

It said that the ruling Labour Party has long been “committed to recognising a state of Palestine” and that the party had that point in the pre-election manifesto of 2024. The statement says that “Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people,” while the recognition of the Palestinian state “is essential to the long-term security of Israel. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.”

On July 24, French President Emmanuel Macron also said that Paris would recognize the State of Palestine at the UNGA session in September.