OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:22 PM – Tuesday, July 29, 2025
British Prime Minister Kier Starmer has announced that the United Kingdom will officially recognize the “State of Palestine” at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in late September, unless Israel takes “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza.”
If Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, explicitly halts annexation plans for the West Bank, and “commits to a long-term peace process” delivering a two‑state solution — then the UK “may delay” recognition, the PM added — according to Axios.
The report stated that Starmer has not made an absolute commitment to recognize Palestine unconditionally. Instead, it has set out clear conditions for Israel. If Israel meets those conditions, the UK may delay or reconsider its recognition plan altogether.
Starmer’s announcement comes in the wake of several nations around the world declaring their recognition of a Palestinian state, including Norway, Ireland, Spain, and Slovenia—joined by France, which is expected to formally extend recognition in September.
The U.S. recently pulled its delegation out of Qatar, as U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff explained that Hamas’ “negotiating team” has clearly showcased “a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”
“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said on Thursday.
Starmer’s move represents the closest Israeli ally to recognize a Palestinian state. Political analysts now question whether Western nations may follow suit in uplifting those in the region.
Nonetheless, Starmer also emphasized that “there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm.”
“We also believe that a ceasefire will not last without urgent work on governance and security in Gaza, and the prospect of a long-term political settlement. We are therefore preparing a plan with our key allies for longer-term political negotiations and a two-state solution,” Starmer stated.
“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. We welcome the steps announced by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and these should be the basis for a comprehensive reform of the Palestinian Authority,” he added.
Soon after, Israel’s Foreign Ministry responded to Starmer’s announcement in a Tuesday X post, writing: “Israel rejects the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.”
“The shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages,” the announcement concluded.
Meanwhile, this week, President Donald Trump announced a joint effort with Europe to feed “starving” Palestinians.
“I see it, and you can’t fake that. So, we’re going to be even more involved,” Trump said.
Israel has blamed the United Nations for inefficiencies in aid distribution within Gaza, arguing that large stockpiles of aid remain undistributed and sometimes “rotting in the sun” due to UN inaction or poor coordination. An Israeli spokesprson referred to the UN’s operations as akin to a “billion‑dollar racket.” They have also characterized the UN’s aid role as biased or motivated by a political agenda against them as the Jewish State.
“Israel says hundreds of truckloads of aid are waiting at the border for the U.N. to distribute in Gaza. On Thursday, Israel’s military took journalists to the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing where hundreds of boxes of aid were on pallets filling a huge lot,” AP News reported last Friday.
Israel has since opted to support the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), though the UN has also accused that foundation of politicizing and “weaponizing aid.”
Stay informed! Receive breaking news alerts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to leave a comment!Sponsored Content Below