British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced, on Sunday, that the United Kingdom has officially recognised Palestine as an independent country.
According to Mr Starmer, the decision was intended to maintain prospects for peace while reaffirming the UK’s commitment to securing the release of Israeli hostages.
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“In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and of a two-state solution,” Mr Starmer said in a video statement on Sunday.
This comes as Canada and Australia also formally recognised Palestinian statehood, just two days before the opening of the ongoing 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly; an event where the question of Palestinian sovereignty after decades of occupation will be a central focus.
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The UK has now joined the growing list of countries that recognise Palestine, including Nigeria and many African countries. So far, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states have already recognised or have pledged to recognise Palestine.
Mr Starmer also pledged further action to sanction senior figures in the Hamas leadership in the coming weeks.
He stressed that the group would have no role in the future of Palestine, adding that recognising a Palestinian state would not strengthen Hamas, which he described as a “brutal terrorist organisation that wants to see Israel destroyed”.
“A call for a genuine two-state solution is the exact opposite of their hateful vision,” Mr Starmer said.
More countries declaring recognition
More countries are also signalling their intention to follow suit as the Israeli-Hamas conflict drags on and Palestinian casualties from Israeli strikes continue to rise.
Announcing the recognition of Palestine statehood, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel.
The UK government said in July that it would shift its longstanding approach of holding off recognition until a supposed moment of maximum impact.
This was unless Israel stops its genocidal war in Gaza, commits to a long-term sustainable peace process that delivers a two-state solution, and allows more aid into the enclave.
Countries like Canada, Belgium, and France had also earlier vowed to recognise Palestine as an independent state at the UNGA should Israel fail to end its war on Gaza, which has led to the death of over 60,000 Palestinians.
READ ALSO: UN panel accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, however, has worsened sharply in recent weeks, as Israeli forces continue their assault on Gaza City in an effort to seize it, while further starving and displacing the enclave’s famine-stricken population.
Meanwhile, daily raids by Israeli soldiers and attacks by settlers persist across the occupied West Bank.
Israel, with US support, has also been advancing plans to annex the Palestinian territory and “bury” the idea of a contiguous Palestinian state with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.
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