United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce the country\u2019s recognition of the Palestinian state\u00a0in a statement on Sunday.<\/p>\n
United Kingdom Prime Minister This would mark a significant shift in British politics, as past governments have consistently stated that recognition should be part of a peace process, particularly at a time of maximum impact. However, Starmer\u2019s upcoming move is also drawing fierce criticism from the Israeli government, families of hostages still held captive in Gaza, and Conservatives in the UK.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n In a run-up to Starmer\u2019s upcoming proclamation, Israel\u2019s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said such a move \u201crewards terror\u201d. However, British ministers supporting Starmer\u2019s views argue that there was a moral responsibility to act to keep the hope of a long-term peace deal alive.<\/p>\n Starmer to announce the move on Sunday<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a government source told the BBC that the situation on the ground had worsened significantly in the last few weeks, prompting this move from Starmer. They cited images showing starvation and violence in Gaza, which the prime minister has previously described as \u201cintolerable\u201d.<\/p>\n It is important to note that Israel\u2019s latest ground operation in UK Justice Secretary \u201cThe recognition of a Palestinian state is as a consequence of the serious expansion that we\u2019re seeing in the STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADMixed responses<\/p>\n Ahead of Starmer\u2019s announcement, Palestinian Authority president
\nKeir Starmer<\/a> is expected to announce the country\u2019s recognition of the
\nPalestinian state<\/a>\u00a0in a statement on Sunday. The news of Starmer\u2019s upcoming announcement came after the British Prime Minister said in July that the UK would shift its position in September unless Israel met conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and committing to a long-term sustainable peace deal that delivers a
\ntwo-state solution.<\/a><\/p>\n
\nGaza City,<\/a> described by a UN official as \u201ccataclysmic\u201d, has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee. Ministers within the Starmer administration also emphasised that the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law, was a key factor in the decision to recognise Palestinian statehood, BBC reported.<\/p>\n
\nDavid Lammy<\/a>, who was Foreign Secretary back in July, cited the E1 settlement project, which critics warn would put an end to hopes for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state.<\/p>\n
\nWest Bank,<\/a> the settler violence that we\u2019re seeing in the West Bank, and the intention and indications that we\u2019re seeing to build for example the
\nE1 development<\/a> that would run a coach and horses through the possibility of a two-state solution,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\nMahmoud Abbas<\/a> welcomed the UK\u2019s recognition pledge during his visit to the country earlier this month. According to the Downing Street sources, during their meeting, both leaders agreed that Hamas had no role in the future governance of Palestine.<\/p>\n