Britain to recognise Palestinian state amid Israel's Gaza offensive: Reports

London: Britain is set to formally recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday, according to UK media reports, marking a major policy shift that has been strongly opposed by Israel, a long-time ally.

The UK has traditionally been a firm supporter of Israel but has altered its stance following the intensification of Israel’s Gaza offensive, which was prompted by Hamas's unprecedented attack in 2023.

Since then, the small Palestinian enclave has endured widespread destruction, loss of life, and severe food shortages, leading to a major humanitarian crisis.

In July, Keir Starmer stated that Britain would formally recognise the State of Palestine if Israel failed to take "substantive steps" towards a ceasefire with Hamas by the time the UN General Assembly met in September.

Reports from multiple British media outlets, including the BBC and the Press Association, indicate that Starmer will announce the recognition on Sunday.

Starmer noted in July that the move would "contribute to a proper peace process, at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution."

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused him of rewarding "monstrous terrorism" and appeasing "jihadist" ideology.

This expected announcement comes ahead of a UN General Assembly in which approximately 10 other countries, including Britain’s G7 partner France, are also poised to recognise a Palestinian state.

It arrives as Israel continues its offensive to capture Gaza City, the largest urban centre in the territory, where the United Nations has declared a famine.

Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war, resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory campaign has claimed at least 65,208 lives, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gazan health ministry, which the United Nations deems reliable.

AFP