Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the United Kingdom is prepared to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly unless Israel takes a number of steps to improve life for Palestinians.<\/p>\n
Sir Keir said the UK would make the move unless Israel took substantive steps to allow more aid to enter the Gaza Strip, made clear there will be no annexation of the West Bank and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a \u201ctwo-state solution\u201d – a Palestinian state co-existing in peace alongside Israel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering,\u201d Sir Keir told reporters.<\/p>\n
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By continuing you agree to our Terms<\/a> and Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, in Gaza, because of a catastrophic failure of aid, we see starving babies, children too weak to stand, images that will stay with us for a lifetime. The suffering must end.\u201d<\/p>\n Sir Keir said his government would make an assessment in September on \u201chow far the parties have met these steps\u201d but that no one would have a veto over the decision.<\/p>\n He took the decision after recalling his cabinet during the summer holidays on Tuesday to discuss a new proposed peace plan being worked on with other European leaders and how to deliver more humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip\u2019s 2.2 million people, a government statement said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe reiterated that there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza and disarm.\u201d<\/p>\n A growing numbers of MPs in Sir Keir\u2019s Labour Party have asked him to recognise a Palestinian state to push Israel towards action.<\/p>\n Pressure to formally recognise Palestinian statehood has mounted since French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will recognise a Palestinian state in September.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Germany sent two military transport aircraft to Jordan to assist in airdrops of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis work may only make a small humanitarian contribution but it is an important signal: we are there, we are in the region, we are helping,\u201d Mr Merz said.<\/p>\n The planes are to be refuelled, filled up and equipped in Jordan before flying over the Gaza Strip, possibly as early as Wednesday, and by the weekend at the latest, Mr Merz said.<\/p>\n Planes from Jordan and the United Arab Emirates dropped another 52 pallets of food over the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Egyptian planes also took part in the airdrops for the first time since Sunday, when Israel began allowing increased aid into the sealed-off Palestinian territory after months of restrictions, the military said.<\/p>\n The Israeli military on Sunday announced it was implementing daily \u201chumanitarian\u201d pauses in fighting to allow for new aid to be safely distributed in the embattled strip amid increased international pressure over warners of imminent famine.<\/p>\n The military said Egypt, Jordan and the UAE were co-ordinating the airdrops with Israel.<\/p>\n Aid organisations including Doctors Without Borders have criticised the method as ineffective and expensive compared to lorry aid deliveries.<\/p>\n They also note the danger posed to waiting civilians by the dropping pallets, which are attached to parachutes.<\/p>\n Scores of Palestinians in the Gazan town of Zawaida swam into the sea to retrieve what they could from airdrops of aid on Tuesday.<\/p>\n Kamel Qoraan returned to shore with a soaked bag of tea powder, saying that airdropping aid is \u201chumiliating\u201d and calling for the opening of border crossings for trucks.<\/p>\n Some people seemed relieved to get anything.<\/p>\n One boy smiled as he clutched a small sack of flour.<\/p>\n One man had a can of beans.<\/p>\n Momen Abu Etayya said his son urged him to chase the airdrops, and dashed into the sea.<\/p>\n \u201cI was only able to bring him three biscuits,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the United Kingdom is prepared to recognise a Palestinian state in September 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