UK to Recognize Palestinian State: A Shift in Foreign Policy

Tue Oct 21 2025 08:28:31 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

On Sunday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce the recognition of Palestine as a state, marking a significant change in the UK's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is poised to announce the UK's formal recognition of Palestine on Sunday. This move follows a July commitment to alter the UK's position based on Israel's actions in Gaza. The decision has sparked controversy, facing backlash from Israeli officials and some UK leaders. Amid increasing violence and humanitarian concerns in Gaza, Starmer's government argues that recognition is essential for peace. Consequently, the UK now joins several other nations recognizing Palestine, further complicating diplomatic efforts in the region.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce the UK's recognition of a Palestinian state in a statement on Sunday afternoon.

The move comes after the prime minister said in July the UK would shift its position in September unless Israel met conditions including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and committing to a long-term sustainable peace deal that delivers a two-state solution.

This represents a major change in British foreign policy after successive governments said recognition should come as part of a peace process and at a time of maximum impact.

The move has drawn fierce criticism from the Israeli government, hostage families and some Conservatives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said such a move rewards terror.

However, UK ministers argue there was a moral responsibility to act to keep the hope of a long-term peace deal alive.

Government sources said the situation on the ground had worsened significantly in the last few weeks. They cited images showing starvation and violence in Gaza, which the prime minister has previously described as intolerable.

Earlier this week, a United Nations commission of inquiry concluded Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel denounced as distorted and false.

Ministers also highlighted the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law, as a key factor in the decision to recognize Palestinian statehood.

Justice Secretary David Lammy, who was foreign secretary in July when the path to recognition was announced, cited the controversial E1 settlement project which critics warn would put an end to hopes for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state.

He said: The recognition of a Palestinian state is as a consequence of the serious expansion that we're seeing in the West Bank, the settler violence that we're seeing in the West Bank, and the intention and indications that we're seeing to build for example the E1 development that would run a coach and horses through the possibility of a two-state solution.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the UK's recognition pledge. However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch stressed the need for a two-state solution while criticizing the timing of recognition.

Despite government assertions that they would continue to push for the release of hostages by Hamas, the announcement raises complex questions about recognition, conditions, and how to ensure peace in the region.