Summary
- Keir Starmer says the UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a UN meeting in September unless Israel meets certain conditions
- He says the plan will go ahead unless the Israeli government takes “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza”, including a ceasefire – here’s what else the prime minister urged Israel to do
- In response, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu tells Starmer he “rewards Hamas” and “punishes its victims”
- About 147 countries formally recognise a Palestinian state, and last week France pledged to do so at the same UN meeting
- Earlier, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said more than 60,000 Palestinians have now been killed since Israel’s offensive began
- A UN-backed food security body also said “the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in Gaza; Israel insists there are no restrictions on aid deliveries and that there is “no starvation”
Earlier, Keir Starmer laid out specific conditions which he said Israel must meet by September – otherwise his government will recognise Palestinian statehood.
Those “substantive steps” that Israel must take include:
- Agreeing to a ceasefire
- Allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid
- Committing to a long-term peace process that “delivers a two-state solution”
- And guaranteeing that the occupied West Bank will not be annexed in the future
The prime minister also reiterated the demands that remain in place for Hamas, which are:
- Also agreeing to a ceasefire
- Releasing all the remaining hostages from the territory
- Accepting they will play no role in the government of Gaza
- And full disarmament
- BBC