U.K. could recognize Palestinian state in lieu of ceasefire

From PBS NewsHour.

The United Kingdom will recognize a Palestinian state in September, unless Israel works to end the "appalling situation in Gaza" and agrees to a ceasefire, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday.

"I’ve always said that we will recognize 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."

"The UK will recognize 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, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace," he continued.

The announcement comes as Starmer faced mounting pressure within his Labour Party to recognize a Palestinian state amid growing outrage over starvation in Gaza.

The pressure intensified after French President Emmanuel Macron said last week that France would recognize Palestine as a state in September.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a UN-backed food security group, issued an alert Tuesday, saying the "worst-case scenario of famine" is unfolding in the Gaza Strip.

Watch PBS News for daily, breaking and live news, plus special coverage. We are home to PBS News Hour, ranked the most credible and objective TV news show.

Subscribe for exclusive content in our newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
PBS News podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS News at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6

Follow us:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pbsnews
X: http://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour
Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour