The prime minister has defended his plans to potentially recognise a Palestinian state, stating there is a “sense of revulsion” at the images of starvation in Gaza.
Sir Keir Starmer announced in July that the UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes steps to alleviate the humanitarian crisis and end the conflict with Gaza, including a two-state solution.
The plans state that the UK would only refrain from recognising Palestine if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire, and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two months.
Starmer insisted that the move was not a propaganda boost to Hamas, saying the “terrorist organisation” could play “no part in any future government”.The plans have been criticised by the Israeli government and hostage families. A protest is due to take place in London over the weekend.
Demonstrators, including some British family members of hostages still held by Hamas, will march on Downing Street, calling for the release of the remaining hostages before any talk about the recognition of Palestine.
The protest plans come after Hamas released videos showing two hostages, Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, in visibly emaciated states.Asked if he had given Hamas a public relations boost by talking about recognition, Starmer told Channel 5: “They should release the hostages straight away and they should play absolutely no part in the governance of Palestine at any point.”
He said the hostages taken during the October 7 attacks had been held for a “very, very long time in awful circumstances, unimaginable circumstances, and Hamas is a terrorist organisation, and that’s why I’m really clear about Hamas”.
“We do, alongside that, have to do all that we can to alleviate the awful situation on the ground in Gaza. We need aid in volume and at scale.”
People have seen the “images of starvation” in Gaza, he said, adding that “the British public can see it and there’s a sense of revulsion at what they’re seeing”.
Starmer added that the government have to do “everything we can” to get aid in, working with other countries, “and it’s in that context that I set out our position on recognition”.
The prime minister’s spokesperson previously said the images of the visibly frail hostages were “completely abhorrent”.
When asked whether a Palestinian state could be recognised while Hamas are still holding hostages, the spokesperson said that “we’ll make an assessment ahead of the UN General Assembly on how far the parties have met the steps that we’ve set out”.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said on Tuesday that “Keir Starmer has made a mistake” and “what we need to focus on now is a ceasefire and getting the hostages home”.
Experts say it seems highly unlikely the Israeli government under Netanyahu could meet the conditions set out by the government, which cut to the core issues of the conflict.
Netanyahu rejects the two-state solution on both nationalistic and security grounds.
Israel’s foreign ministry previously said it rejected the British statement.
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