UK’s Starmer faces pressure over Palestine recognition policy

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is poised to convene a cabinet meeting, which is likely to address the ongoing situation in Gaza, a government source confirmed, Al-Monitor via Reuters reported on July 27th.

Ministers, currently on summer recess, will return, likely in response to intensifying pressure for Britain to recognise a Palestinian state. Starmer’s office did not respond to a request for comment. However, the timing follows renewed internal and external calls for a shift in UK policy.

On July 25th, Starmer stated that the UK would only recognise a Palestinian state “as part of a negotiated peace deal,” a stance that angered many in his Labour Party. Over 220 Members of Parliament, mostly Labour and accounting for roughly a third of the Commons, signed a letter urging him to recognise Palestine unilaterally.

France’s recent announcement to formally recognise the Palestinian state increased the pressure. President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the move on July 24th, joining Spain, Norway and Ireland, who made similar moves in 2024. Israel and the United States both condemned France’s decision.

Successive UK governments have repeated the position that recognition will come at the right time, without defining what that means in practice. Starmer now faces growing calls to clarify Britain’s timeline, particularly from within his own ranks and the public who express unease around Starmer’s handling of the situation in Gaza.

His decision also comes just after the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump in Scotland. Starmer has developed cordial relations with the American leader, and the UK has historically aligned closely with U.S. foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to reject international criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has fuelled these latest political demands in Britain and beyond.

Al-Monitor via Reuters, BBC, Maghrebi.org