UK PM Starmer To Recognize Palestinian State, Announce Sanctions on Hamas
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state on Sunday, marking a significant shift in British foreign policy.
At the same time, Starmer will unveil new sanctions on Hamas, according to British media reports, presenting the move as part of a two-pronged approach. The decision to combine recognition with sanctions is seen as an attempt to counter criticism from the United States, where President Donald Trump has condemned the plan to recognize a Palestinian state.
Starmer had warned in July that the UK would change its position unless Israel agreed to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, allowed humanitarian access, and committed to a long-term peace process aimed at establishing two states. Ministers now say that with conditions unmet and the situation worsening, recognition is a moral responsibility.
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The announcement comes amid an international push, led by France, for coordinated recognition at the UN General Assembly. Starmer is scheduled to address the assembly on Friday, speaking four places after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The move has provoked sharp criticism from Israel, from families of hostages still held in Gaza, and from members of Starmer’s own Conservative opposition. Netanyahu previously said that recognition of a Palestinian state “rewards terror,” a position echoed by Israeli officials who argue the decision undermines efforts to free the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people.
British ministers insist that the sanctions on Hamas will demonstrate a firm stance against terrorism while recognition signals support for Palestinian aspirations. Government sources also cited the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, pointing to images of starvation and violence that Starmer described as “intolerable.”
The recognition marks a departure from the longstanding UK position that statehood should come as part of a negotiated peace process and at a time of maximum impact. Supporters of the move say it reflects the urgency of the crisis and Britain’s responsibility to act, while critics warn it will embolden Hamas and strain relations with Israel.
