British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that he will recognize Palestine as an independent state next September unless Israel, the occupying power in Gaza, stops its brutality, agrees to a ceasefire, guarantees that the West Bank will not be annexed, and commits to a long-term peace process to form a two-state solution.

Starmer held an emergency meeting with his cabinet on Tuesday (July 29). He made the announcement after the meeting.

Earlier last week, France announced that it would formally recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.

The UK has said that if the occupying power Israel does not meet its conditions, it will recognize Palestine before the UN session. They will meet again in September to review the latest situation. A final decision will be made there, he said.

The British Prime Minister said he was not equating the Palestinian militant group Hamas with Israel and that there was no comparison between them. He called on Hamas to release Israeli hostages and reach a ceasefire agreement. He also said Hamas would not be able to play any role in running the government in Gaza after the war.

Keir Starmer says their goal is to ensure a secure Israeli state alongside an independent Palestine.