The United Kingdom has formally recognised a Palestinian state, marking a historic shift in foreign policy more than a century after the Balfour Declaration first endorsed a Jewish homeland in Palestine, and 77 years after the creation of Israel.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the decision in a video statement on Sunday, calling it an urgent step to preserve the prospect of peace.
“In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and of a two-state solution,” Starmer said.
The announcement comes as Canada, Australia, and Portugal also moved to recognise Palestinian statehood ahead of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, where Palestinian sovereignty is set to dominate discussions.
Gaza Crisis Drives Urgency
For decades, the UK maintained it would recognise Palestine only at a “moment of maximum impact” as part of a wider peace process. But with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsening, London has abandoned that approach.In recent weeks, Israeli forces have intensified their military campaign in Gaza, laying waste to much of Gaza City while restricting food, fuel, and aid to the enclave’s starving population. Daily raids by Israeli forces and attacks by settlers in the occupied West Bank have also escalated, alongside moves to expand settlements and plans for annexation.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described the UK’s decision as a reflection of its “unwavering commitment to a two-state solution” and of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy cautioned that recognition alone would not create a Palestinian state overnight, but argued the move was essential to keeping the two-state vision alive.
“Any step to recognise it is because we wish to keep alive the prospects of a two-state solution,” Lammy said in an interview with Sky News.
Global Reaction
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the decision, calling it a “message of hope” to Palestinians under occupation.
“Above all, it is a message of hope for a free, independent, sovereign state,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said at a press conference in Ramallah. She also declared that the recognition reinforced the fact that “Israel has no sovereignty on the territories of our state.”
Aghabekian accused Israel of carrying out a “systematic assault on the very fabric of humanity, designed to erase the Palestinian people’s existence, culture and future.”
In the UK, Layla Moran, the first MP of Palestinian descent, described the announcement as a milestone.
“A decades-long injustice has now been rectified,” Moran said. “This is a small step, the beginning of a journey. It shouldn’t have taken us a genocide to get to this point.”
Starmer: No Role for Hamas
Starmer stressed that recognition would not empower Hamas, which he labelled a “brutal terrorist organisation.”“A call for a genuine two-state solution is the exact opposite of their hateful vision,” he said, adding that the UK would pursue further sanctions on Hamas leaders in the coming weeks.
A Historic Step
The recognition — delivered jointly with Canada, Australia, and Portugal — represents a major diplomatic turning point in Western policy toward the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.More than 100 countries have already recognised Palestinian statehood, but the UK’s decision is seen as especially significant given its historic role in the region.
For many Palestinians, it is a long-overdue acknowledgment. For Britain, it marks a belated effort to keep alive a two-state solution that many fear is slipping out of reach amid ongoing conflict and deepening occupation.