Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that the UK would recognize “Palestinian statehood” if Israel does not declare a ceasefire, bringing the military operation to an end while the terrorist group Hamas still holds hostages in Gaza. The move is set to reward Hamas and Palestinian terrorist groups nearly 22 months after they murdered more than 1200 Israelis and took over 250 hostages.
“The UK will recognise Palestinian statehood in September, the government has said, unless ‘substantive’ steps are taken by Israel to end the ‘appalling’ situation in Gaza – among other conditions,” the BBC reported.
The British prime minister made the announcement after an ’emergency’ meeting with his cabinet ministers. “At a news conference, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the goal remains a ‘safe and secure’ Israel alongside a ‘viable and sovereign’ Palestinian state,” the broadcaster added.
Last week, President Emmanuel Macron declared that France would be recognizing the State of Palestine in September, becoming to first Western nation to do so.
The Israeli government warned that Prime Minister Starmer’s declaration will only embolden Hamas, which has been asking for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza without releasing hostages languishing in its captivity since October 7, 2023.
The UK newspaper The Telegraph reported the official Israeli response:
Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement will hurt ceasefire efforts and represents a “reward for Hamas”, the Israeli foreign ministry has said.“Israel rejects the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.“The shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages.”
The news comes after France, Germany, and the UK issued a joint statement last Friday saying that “all three countries support a Palestinian state in principle,” the German state TV Deutsche Welle reported. The three European leaders “demanded an immediate ceasefire and warned that ‘withholding essential humanitarian assistance’ is unacceptable — though the statement broke no new diplomatic ground,” the TV channel added.
Ahead of the announcement, the Starmer government told Israel to meet a series of demands. The government spokesman said Tuesday morning that Britain will recognize the statehood for the Palestinians “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.”
Predictably, Hamas halted hostage negotiations shortly after Starmer’s announcement. “A senior Hamas official tells the BBC they’ve informed mediators in Qatar and Egypt that negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza will be halted while … the territory is under blockade,” the British broadcaster reported Tuesday evening.
Ahead of the British announcement, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Sa’ar, briefed the international media, saying the diplomatic pressure mounted against Israel in recent weeks is ‘sabotaging’ negotiations to free hostages and reach a ceasefire in Gaza
The European leaders are pressuring Israel to appease their growing Muslim populations, he observed. “We are aware of the fact that there are countries in Europe today with huge Muslim populations. Sometimes, it affects the policies of their governments,” the foreign minister said. “But this cannot and will not lead Israel to commit suicide.”
While thanking President Trump and his administration “for their unwavering support for Israel’s war against Hamas and terror,” the Israeli minister slammed foreign governments for bolstering Hamas’s position and sabotaging the hostage negotiations.
Diplomatic pressure on Israel has emboldened Hamas, which last week rejected the ceasefire framework proposed by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. “The international pressure on Israel during critical days in the negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage deal has already caused Hamas to harden its position,” the minister cautioned. “This pressure is directly sabotaging the chances for a ceasefire and hostage deal.”
Israel is not going to allow an Islamic terrorist state to be carved out from within its borders. “We won’t allow a Jihadist terror state in the heart of our ancient homeland,” he added. “We won’t allow a Hamas terror state to be formed just a few kilometers away from our population centers.”
The Israeli news website Ynetnews reported the foreign minister’s statement:
In the face of mounting international scrutiny over the war in Gaza, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stood firm Tuesday morning, offering an unflinching defense of Israel’s position and warning that outside pressure is not only misguided—but dangerous.“This must be clear: international pressure during these critical days of cease-fire and hostage negotiations has already led Hamas to harden its position,” he told foreign journalists at a press conference. “This pressure directly undermines the chances of reaching a cease-fire and hostage deal.”Beyond the battlefield, Sa’ar turned his attention to the broader diplomatic arena, where he said Israel is contending with a growing wave of boycotts, research exclusions, and pro-Palestinian initiatives. He cast the situation as part of a “distorted campaign of international pressure,” one that he believes is feeding an alarming surge in antisemitic incidents worldwide.“We are witnessing a distorted campaign of international pressure against Israel,” he said. “This campaign is fueling the wave of antisemitism we are now seeing.”And to those calling for an immediate end to the war? “When people call to end the war—what do they really mean?” he asked. “That it should end with Hamas still ruling Gaza. That would be a tragedy for both Israelis and Palestinians. That’s precisely why they took the hostages in the first place—to impose their will on Israel. That will not happen, no matter how much pressure is exerted.” (…)“The campaign’s second objective is to force Israel to accept a Palestinian terror state,” he said. “Yesterday in New York, the French said Europe must pressure Israel to accept a two-state solution. But establishing a Palestinian state today would mean creating a Hamas-run jihadist state. That won’t happen. We’re aware that some European countries have large Muslim populations, and that sometimes influences government policy. But that cannot, and will not, drive Israel to commit suicide.”His tone sharpened as he laid down red lines. “We will not allow a jihadist terror state to rise in the heart of our historical homeland. We won’t permit a Hamas-run state to emerge just miles from our population centers. Israel will not be the Czechoslovakia of the 21st century. We will not sacrifice our very existence to appease other nations. We will not compromise our fundamental interests for the internal political considerations of countries that have lost control of their own streets. These countries condescendingly presume to dictate what’s best for our security.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also declared his government’s commitment to continue fighting a just war, which began after the invading Hamas terrorists committed horrific atrocities, massacres, and took hostages on October 7, 2023.
“We are fighting a just war, a moral war, a war for our survival,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement Monday afternoon. “We’ll continue to act responsibly, as we always have, and we’ll continue to seek the return of our hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”
While supporting the delivery of humanitarian aid, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued its military operation against Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
“In the Khan Yunis area, IDF troops eliminated several terrorists who posed a threat, while the IAF targeted terrorist infrastructure and multiple weapons storage facilities over the past day,” the military said in a statement Tuesday.
With Hamas rejecting the U.S. ceasefire proposal, the IDF was keeping up pressure on the terrorists holding hostages in Gaza. “Throughout the past day, IDF troops continued operating in the areas in northern Gaza, dismantling launch and fire capabilities and dismantling terrorist infrastructure both above and below ground. Several terrorists were eliminated in ground engagements,” the IDF statement added. “Over the past day, the IAF, in cooperation with ground troops, struck dozens of terror targets across the Gaza Strip, including terrorists, military structures, launch posts, weapons storage facilities, tunnels, military posts, and other terrorist infrastructure.”
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