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LONDON – In a dramatic escalation of international pressure on Israel, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a powerful ultimatum, threatening to officially recognize a Palestinian state by September. The warning comes amidst a deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where a new hunger report confirms that widespread starvation is now a grim reality. Starmer's announcement, which was met with fierce condemnation from Israel, signals a significant shift in diplomatic policy and aligns the UK with a growing chorus of nations demanding an end to the nearly two-year-old conflict.
The British Prime Minister's office stated on Tuesday that the UK would act "unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution." This conditional recognition would be announced at the United Nations General Assembly in September, adding to Israel's increasing isolation on the world stage.
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This diplomatic gambit follows a dire report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a leading hunger monitor, which indicated that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in Gaza. The report highlighted that "famine thresholds" have been met in most of the region, with “widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease... driving a rise in hunger-related deaths.” The IPC's findings, which are often a precursor to a formal famine declaration, aim to increase pressure on Israel to allow far greater quantities of humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.
The humanitarian crisis has also been underscored by a new, somber milestone: Palestinian authorities now report that over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel's offensive began in response to the Hamas attack in October 2023. These figures, which are cited by the U.N., paint a harrowing picture of a conflict that has become the deadliest in Israel's history since 1948.
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The announcement from London was immediately met with a harsh rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Taking to social media platform X, Netanyahu accused Starmer of "rewarding Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishing its victims." He further warned that "A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW," echoing a sentiment that has hardened in Israeli political circles.
The UK's move places it in a growing camp of nations taking a tougher stance on the conflict. France announced a similar intention last week, infuriating the Israeli government. The United States, Israel's closest and most influential ally, remains the primary outlier. While President Donald Trump initially seemed open to the idea, he later stated aboard Air Force One that he did not believe Hamas "should be rewarded" with Palestinian independence, underscoring the deep divisions among Western allies.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on the other hand, praised Starmer's decision as "bold" and a step towards justice, according to the Palestinian state news agency WAFA.
While a UK recognition of a Palestinian state would be largely symbolic, given Israel’s ongoing occupation of the territories, its diplomatic weight cannot be overstated. It represents a powerful, public challenge to Israel's conduct of the war and adds to the global call for an end to the suffering in Gaza. The diplomatic pressure is mounting, and with the international community's focus firmly on the humanitarian disaster, the coming months will prove to be a crucial test of global will and a potential turning point in one of the world's most enduring conflicts.
(News from reuters, Image from DD News)