British Prime Minister Keir Starmer conditioned the recognition of Palestine as a State on Friday to a “broader” plan for lasting peace, after more than a hundred conservative and labor MPs asked him in a letter to take this measure as a historical duty of the country, following the steps of France.
PUBLICIDAD
On Thursday, Emmanuel Macron announced that in September, during the UN General Assembly, France will recognize Palestine as a State, “true to its historical commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” thus joining other Western countries that have recently taken this step, such as Spain and Mexico.
PUBLICIDAD
Furthermore, during this day, Starmer, along with the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, and the President of France, issued a statement in which they pointed out that “the time has come to end the war in Gaza” given the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the enclave due to Israel’s offensive, which has left nearly 59,700 Palestinians dead since October 7, 2023.
What are the requirements of the United Kingdom to recognize Palestine?
Starmer explained that he is working, along with his “closest allies,” on a “path to peace in the region, focused on practical solutions that will make a real difference in the lives of those suffering in this war.” And, as he has stated, that path will establish the “concrete steps necessary to turn the desperately needed ceasefire into lasting peace.”
“The recognition of a Palestinian state must be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about it. But it must be part of a broader plan that ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis,” says a statement issued by Number 10 Downing Street.
The British Prime Minister, who has lamented the “atrocious” scenes in Gaza, argued that “this is the way to ensure that it is a tool of maximum utility to improve the lives of those who are suffering.”
Starmer described as “indefensible” the “continued captivity of hostages, famine and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the growing violence of extremist settler groups, and Israel’s disproportionate military escalation” in the Palestinian enclave.