The UK is expected to recognize a Palestinian state on Sunday, following “Israel’s” failure to meet the conditions set out by Prime Minister Keir Starmer in July.
Starmer will announce the recognition after concluding the humanitarian situation has deteriorated significantly in the past few weeks, despite pressure from the US and the families of Israeli captives.
Confirming plans for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to announce a decision on recognizing a Palestinian state later today, Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the UK’s imminent recognition of a Palestinian state will not bring one into existence “overnight”, stressing that recognition must be part of what he called a broader peace process.
“Any step to recognize it is because we wish to keep alive the prospects of a two-state solution,” Lammy told Sky News.
“We are some significant distance from two states,” he admitted.
He also called for the release of captives in Gaza and said Hamas cannot play any role in governing, adding that the Palestinian Authority must also make reforms.
Lammy also said the chance for a ceasefire in Gaza anytime soon “lies in tatters.”
After “Israel’s” strike on Hamas in Qatar earlier this month, Lammy admitted that it’s “very hard to see a ceasefire in the coming weeks.”
