Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said recognising a Palestinian state will have little immediate impact but will sustain hopes for an eventual peace settlement. Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce the move on Sunday after concluding the international community has a moral responsibility to act to keep long-term peace hopes alive.
Lammy acknowledged the recognition would not ease the humanitarian crisis or secure the release of hostages. However, it would keep open the prospect of an eventual two-state solution with a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel.
Limited immediate impact expected
"Any decision to recognise a Palestinian state, if that were to take place later on today, does not make a Palestinian state happen overnight," Lammy said. He suggested a peace process would have to be based on the 1967 borders, with a shared capital in Jerusalem - issues that could take considerable time to resolve.
The Deputy Prime Minister told the BBC: "Will this feed children? No it won't, that's down to humanitarian aid. Will this free hostages? That must be down to a ceasefire." But he argued recognition would help keep the prospect of a two-state solution alive across successive governments.
Palestinian officials welcome move
The Palestinian head of mission in the UK, Husam Zomlot, told the BBC that recognition would right a colonial-era wrong. "The issue today is ending the denial of our existence that started 108 years ago, in 1917," he said.
Zomlot described recognition as a "foundational step" towards establishing a sovereign state of Palestine. He said "the hands of British history" were on the whole conflict, referring to the British Mandate period and the Nakba - the mass displacement of Palestinians during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948.
Hostage families oppose timing
Families of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 atrocities have urged Starmer not to proceed with recognition. In an open letter, they said the announcement had "dramatically complicated efforts to bring home our loved ones".
"Hamas has already celebrated the UK's decision as a victory and reneged on a ceasefire deal," they wrote. Ilay David, brother of hostage Evyatar David, said: "Giving this recognition is like saying to Hamas: 'It is OK, you can keep starving the hostages, you can keep using them as human shields'."
Government clarifies Hamas position
Starmer and his ministers have sought to stress that recognition of a Palestinian state is not a reward for Hamas. The government says Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Gaza and have stepped up demands for the release of hostages.
The government is expected to ratchet up sanctions on Hamas in due course. This clarification comes as officials emphasise the recognition is about supporting long-term peace prospects rather than endorsing the terrorist organisation.
Political opposition mounts
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel accused Starmer of "capitulating" to Labour backbenchers to shore up his leadership. "With the terrorist organisation Hamas still holding hostages in barbaric conditions and glorifying acts of terror, Starmer is sending a dangerous message, where violence and extremism are tolerated and rewarded," she said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "Hamas and a Palestinian state are inseparable for now. This is typical of Starmer, he can't really decide where he stands." He described the announcement as "a surrender to terrorism and a betrayal of Israel".
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
