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Sir Keir Starmer(Image: Carl Court\/Getty Images)<\/p>\nIt comes after the Prime Minister had been under increasing pressure to recognise Palestine amid the warnings of starvation in GazaSir Keir Starmer(Image: Carl Court\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Welsh Government has responded after Sir Keir Starmer said the UK will recognise the state of Palestine “in September” unless Israel takes \u201csubstantive steps\u201d to end the \u201cappalling situation in Gaza\u201d. The Prime Minister recalled his senior team of ministers from their summer recess to discuss the situation in Gaza, where the population is facing a mounting famine, according to warnings from the United Nations.<\/p>\n
A readout of the Cabinet meeting issued by Downing Street said Sir Keir told ministers \u201cnow was the right time to move this position\u201d on the two-state solution.<\/p>\n
The readout continued: \u201cHe said that because of the increasingly intolerable situation in Gaza and the diminishing prospect of a peace process towards a two-state solution, now was the right time to move this position forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine in September, before UNGA (UN General Assembly), unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution.\u201d<\/p>\n
It comes after the Prime Minister had been under increasing pressure to recognise Palestine amid the warnings of starvation in Gaza.<\/p>\n
Speaking from Downing Street\u2019s state dining room \u2013 sometimes used for press statements \u2013 the Prime Minister then told reporters that the Government will \u201cmake an assessment in September on how far the parties have met these steps\u201d.<\/p>\n
In response the Welsh Government<\/a> said it “strongly welcomes” the new stance, calling for action to find “lasting peace”.<\/p>\n A Welsh Government spokesperson said: \u201cWe strongly welcome today\u2019s statements by the prime minister and foreign secretary.<\/p>\n “The situation and suffering in Gaza is intolerable.<\/p>\n “The international community must act now to find a lasting peace, which involves a two-state solution, and a recognition of the state of Palestine\u201d.<\/p>\n However, Plaid Cymru Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP said the party “calls for immediate recognition of Palestine”, which “should not be conditional” on the actions of the Israeli government.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cRecognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on the actions of the Israeli government. The right to self-determination belongs to the Palestinian people, not to an occupying power.<\/p>\n \u201cPlaid Cymru calls for immediate recognition of Palestine, alongside the release of all hostages, a ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian aid into Gaza, and genuine progress towards lasting peace.\u201d<\/p>\n Sir Keir said the British government was focused on getting aid into Gaza and getting hostages released when asked why Palestinian recognition was conditional on Israel de-escalating the situation.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cThis is intended to further that course, and it is done now because I am particularly concerned that the very idea of a two-state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has for many, many years and, therefore, it should be seen in both of those contexts.\u201d<\/p>\n While Sir Keir has suggested UK recognition of Palestine is conditional on the crisis not abating, No 10 is understood to believe that such a two-state solution would also proceed from negotiations towards a sustained peace.<\/p>\n The UK will keep working with its allies to \u201cend the suffering, get aid flooding into Gaza and deliver a more stable future for the Middle East\u201d, Sir Keir said, adding: \u201cBecause I know that is what the British people desperately want to see.\u201d<\/p>\n In a hardening of his language about the crisis in Gaza, the prime minister has claimed the British public is \u201crevolted\u201d by scenes of starvation in the territory.<\/p>\n The UK and its allies need to see \u201cat least 500 trucks entering Gaza every day\u201d to deliver aid, the prime minister added, and are together \u201cmounting a major effort to get humanitarian supplies back in\u201d by air and by land.<\/p>\n The prime minister discussed a UK-led international plan to alleviate the crisis in Gaza with Donald Trump on Monday, when the US president acknowledged there was \u201creal starvation\u201d in the territory<\/p>\n Sir Keir has likened the plan he is working on with France and Germany to the coalition of the willing, the international effort to support Ukraine towards a lasting peace.<\/p>\n Amid international alarm over starvation in Gaza, Israel announced at the weekend that it would suspend fighting in three areas for 10 hours a day and open secure routes for aid delivery.<\/p>\n The UK confirmed it was taking part in airdrops of aid into the territory.<\/p>\n Aid agencies have welcomed the new measures but said they were not enough to counter the rising hunger in the Palestinian territory.<\/p>\n Sir Keir has been facing calls from a growing number of MPs to recognise a Palestinian state immediately.<\/p>\n More than 250 cross-party MPs have now signed a letter calling for ministers to take the step, up from 221 on Friday.<\/p>\n Sarah Champion, the senior Labour<\/a> MP who organised the letter, told BBC<\/a> Radio 4 the Prime Minister\u2019s announcement was \u201ca really big movement\u201d and would send a message to Israel that the status quo \u201cis not good enough\u201d.<\/p>\n But she added: \u201cI am a little concerned though that from what I\u2019m hearing it seems to be conditional on Israel accepting some terms and I don\u2019t understand why the two things are being linked together.\u201d<\/p>\n