Esther Imonmion
Britain has warned Israel not to annex parts of the occupied West Bank in retaliation for the UK’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC on Monday, ahead of a UN conference in New York, that she had made it clear to her Israeli counterpart that annexation “must not happen.” She said the UK’s recognition aimed to safeguard “security for Israel as well as the security for Palestinians,” adding that extremists on both sides were seeking to derail the two-state solution.
The announcement on Sunday, 21 September, by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer marked a major policy shift, aligning the UK with Canada, Australia, and Portugal. France, Belgium, and other European states are expected to follow at the UN General Assembly this week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision, calling it “a huge reward to terrorism.” A government spokesperson accused Labour of an “abandonment,” while Netanyahu vowed to continue expanding settlements in the West Bank. Far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged annexation and the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.
The US described the UK’s move as a “diplomatic gift to Hamas,” referencing the group’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Sir Keir rejected the claim, stressing Hamas would have “no role in government, no role in security” under the recognition terms.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the decision as a step toward peace, while Hamas called it “important” but demanded practical measures to end the war.
The recognition comes amid a deepening humanitarian crisis. A UN commission of inquiry last week accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, reporting about 65,000 deaths since the war began nearly two years ago. UN-backed experts have declared a famine in Gaza City. Israel rejected the findings as “Hamas lies.”
Starmer said the recognition was a pledge to both Israelis and Palestinians that “there can be a better future,” describing the “starvation and devastation in Gaza” as intolerable. Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer added that the move was necessary as the two-state solution is “under peril like never before.”
Currently, around 75% of UN member states recognise Palestine, though it lacks agreed borders, a capital, or an army, making recognition largely symbolic.