After France, UK May Also Recognise Palestine As A State But There's A Crucial Rider

Last Updated:July 25, 2025, 19:19 IST

UK PM Keir Starmer, pressured by Labour and European allies, backs Palestinian statehood but demands a Gaza ceasefire first.

North Gaza residents leave their homes after Israel's evacuation warning | File Image: AFP

After France announced plans to recognise Palestine as a state, the British government signalled growing openness to the move but stressed that securing a ceasefire and addressing Gaza’s humanitarian crisis remain immediate priorities.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, facing rising pressure from within his Labour Party and key European allies, reiterated that while Palestinian statehood is an “inalienable right," formal UK recognition would not happen before a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is reached.

UK Science and Technology Minister Peter Kyle told Sky News, “We want Palestinian statehood, we desire it and we want to make sure the circumstances can exist where that kind of long-term political solution can have the space to evolve. But right now, today, we’ve got to focus on what will ease the suffering and it is extreme, unwarranted suffering in Gaza that has to be the priority for us today."

Pressure from Labour And Europe

France’s move, condemned by Israel and the US, has amplified calls within Britain to follow suit. Labour MPs, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, urged Keir Starmer to recognise Palestinian statehood immediately. Cabinet minister Shabana Mahmood said it would deliver “multiple benefits" and signal a shift in Britain’s position on the conflict.

UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee said, “The government cannot continue to wait for the perfect time, because experience shows that there will never be a perfect time."

Ceasefire First, Recognition Later

Despite the calls, Keir Starmer stuck to the UK’s long-held policy of recognition at “the right time." In a statement ahead of a scheduled call with French and German leaders, he called the Gaza situation “an unspeakable and indefensible humanitarian catastrophe" but clarified that recognition of a Palestinian state must follow a ceasefire. The US has opposed France’s move and does not support unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood.

United Kingdom (UK)

News world After France, UK May Also Recognise Palestine As A State But There's A Crucial Rider