THE Prime Minister has confirmed the UK will recognise a Palestinian state after promising sanctions against terrorist group Hamas.
Sir Keir Starmer said the move was intended “to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis”.
The move comes ahead of the UN General Assembly this week
Starmer will promise new actions against terror group Hamas to try and stave off criticism
The move was announced today
The move comes ahead of the UN General Assembly this week, with other nations, including Australia and Canada, making similar moves.
Posting a video of the announcement on X this afternoon, the embattled PM confirmed the decision.
A caption on the post read: “Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine.”
The Government has acknowledged that recognising a Palestinian state would not ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
It also recognised it would not contribute to the freeing of the hostages taken by Hamas.
It comes as exposes a dossier which reveals Hamas politicians who want to lead a new Palestinian state have praised suicide bombers and peddled race hate.
, acting chair of the Hamas Political Bureau, was named a “specially designated global terrorist” in the US in 2003 following a suicide bombing in that killed 20.
He has described the as “exaggerated” and in 2024 called for a resumption of suicide bombings.
Another leading Hamas figure, Mahmourd al-Zahar, is designated as a terrorist by countries including the UK, US, and .
In 2009 he said Israel “legitimised killing of its children”.
A third, Osama Hamdan, vowed to “wipe Israel off” the planet.
Michael Rubin, director of Labour Friends of Israel, said: “These men cannot play any role in the government of a future of a Palestinian state.”
Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump suggested recognising the Palestinian state would risk “rewarding Hamas”.
The US President claimed the PM did not even raise the controversial move when they met on in July.
Speaking aboard as he flew back to the US from , Mr Trump said: “We never did discuss it.”
He added: “You’re rewarding Hamas if you do that. I don’t think they should be rewarded.”
Tory leader fumed: “It’s disgraceful that recalled his Cabinet to try and sort out a political problem for the Labour Party.
“ won’t bring home, won’t end the war and won’t get . This is political posturing at its very worst.”
And a spokesman added: “Recognising as a state does little more than reward Hamas for their actions on October 7.
“This decision is being made at the wrong time and is a knee jerk reaction by Keir Starmer to appease the hard left forces inside and outside of his party.”
Israeli PM Netanyahu slammed the British Prime Minister’s move, saying it “rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism” and “punishes its victims”.
“A jihadist state on Israel’s border today will threaten Britain tomorrow,” Netanyahu warned in a post on .
“Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry also said recognition “constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza”.
Sir Keir told ministers the situation was now “increasingly intolerable”, with horrifying scenes of starving children and hospitals overwhelmed.
And in a televised address, he declared: “I have always said that we will recognise a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution.
“With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act.”
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