UK and France to Recognize Palestinian Statehood

The UK will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza", Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said. The conditions include Israel agreeing to a ceasefire, committing to a long-term sustainable peace that delivers a two-state solution, and allowing the UN to restart aid supplies. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the move, saying it "rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism". The UK's decision follows growing pressure from MPs and comes after France announced it would recognize a Palestinian state in September.

The UK will recognize Palestine as a state in September unless Israel takes "substantive steps" to end the conflict in Gaza, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. The steps include establishing a ceasefire, halting annexation of territory in the West Bank, and working towards a two-state solution. Starmer's announcement came as international pressure mounts on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, with France having already announced it will recognize Palestine as a state. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the UK's decision, calling it a "reward for Hamas" and saying it harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 24th that France will recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September, citing France's commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. Macron's diplomats hope the move will make peace more likely, but America and Israel have expressed concerns that it will embolden Hamas.

European leaders are divided on recognizing a Palestinian state, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron planning to recognize it in September, while Germany's Friedrich Merz stated they won't "currently" recognize it, highlighting differences in their stance on a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that the UK will recognize a Palestinian state by the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and commits to a long-term sustainable peace in Gaza. Starmer made the announcement after meeting with President Donald Trump, who declined to endorse the move. Israel's foreign ministry rejected the announcement, saying it would reward Hamas and harm efforts to achieve a ceasefire.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer plans to recognise Palestine as a state by September unless Israel takes substantive steps to end the Gaza situation, agrees to a ceasefire, and commits to a long-term sustainable peace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the plan as "appeasement towards jihadist terrorists", warning it will "threaten Britain tomorrow". The move was welcomed by some, including Labour MP Sarah Champion, but criticised by others, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who accused Starmer of "political posturing" to appease Labour backbenchers. The Lib Dems and Greens also criticised the plan, saying it was too conditional and a "cynical political gesture".

The UK's potential recognition of Palestine as a state is unlikely to address the ongoing issue of starvation in Gaza. Experts discuss alternative ways to pressure Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, including examining the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid points, and question Israel's Prime Minister's plan for the war and its aftermath.

Britain and France have announced they will recognize a Palestinian state, citing frustrations with Israel's conduct in the Gaza war and actions in the occupied West Bank. Recognition means official acknowledgment that a would-be state meets certain conditions, including a permanent population, defined territorial boundaries, a government, and the ability to conduct international affairs. Many experts believe Palestine meets these criteria, despite disputed borders. Recognition would establish direct diplomatic contact between the Palestinian Authority and the recognizing nation, and send a diplomatic and political message acknowledging Palestinian self-determination. It could also lead to a review of bilateral relations with Israel, potentially resulting in changes to trade and other agreements that may aid or assist Israel in violating Palestinian rights. Most UN countries already recognize Palestine, and Britain and France's move would bolster this stance and potentially add pressure on Israel. The goal of recognition is to push for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite resistance from Israel's current government.

Israel has allowed more aid into Gaza after international pressure mounted over images of malnourished children and widespread hunger, with 120 trucks worth of aid entering the territory on Sunday and more expected on Monday. However, the UN's aid agency, UNRWA, says the amount is a fraction of what's needed, with at least 500-600 trucks required daily to meet the needs of Gaza's 2 million displaced inhabitants. The aid comes as Israel's military announces daily pauses in fighting to allow aid to enter, but reports of people being shot trying to access food continue, and the UN warns that 1 in 5 children in Gaza City is malnourished.

Hundreds of people are protesting in Israel against the country's ongoing war in Gaza, where a severe hunger crisis is unfolding. The protests come as the United Nations warns of a catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, with 900,000 children going hungry and 70,000 showing signs of malnutrition. Israel has faced criticism for its handling of the crisis, with many accusing it of exacerbating the situation through its blockade of the region. Israel denies these allegations, blaming Hamas for the shortages. Meanwhile, aid agencies are calling for increased aid to be allowed into Gaza to alleviate the suffering.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is a US-backed aid group that has delivered 97 million meals to Gazans since May 27. The organization, which is also backed by Israel, has partnered with local Palestinian aid workers and non-governmental organizations to provide aid. GHF's mission is to feed the people of Gaza without allowing Hamas to divert or loot the aid. The group provides boxes of aid sufficient for 2,400 daily calories for 5.5 people over 3.5 days and has distributed an average of 2 million meals per day. The UN has criticized GHF, with the UNRWA Commissioner-General calling it an "abomination," but GHF's spokesperson says that the reality of their distributions is different from what is reported, with only two violent incidents occurring. GHF has adapted its operations to improve distributions, including implementing a red-light, green-light system and holding back aid for women and children.

Two Israeli human rights organizations, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, have released reports stating that Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide, echoing conclusions made by international rights groups, foreign governments, and genocide scholars. The Israeli military has damaged or destroyed most of Gaza's buildings, displaced its population, and caused widespread famine and starvation, resulting in over 60,000 deaths. Israeli leaders have used rhetoric that demonstrates "deliberate intent" to target Gaza's population, including calls to deny food and water to civilians and to ethnically cleanse the territory. Israeli officials have rejected the genocide accusation as "blood libel," while genocide scholars, including Martin Shaw and Omer Bartov, have argued that Israel's actions meet the definition of genocide under international law. Many scholars, including Raz Segal and Melanie O'Brien, have concurred, while a few historians, such as Norman Goda and Jeffrey Herf, have disputed the claim, citing concerns of antisemitism.

UN-backed global food security experts warn that the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out" in the Gaza Strip, with widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease driving a rise in hunger-related deaths among the 2.1 million Palestinians there. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) says famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of Gaza and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City. The crisis is blamed on Israel's blockade and military offensive, which has limited aid deliveries. UN agencies have reported at least 63 malnutrition-related deaths this month, and the IPC is calling for immediate action to end hostilities and allow for a large-scale humanitarian response. The World Food Programme and Unicef have expressed alarm at the situation, warning that collecting data on starvation-related deaths is "very difficult" due to the collapse of health systems. Israel has denied deliberately starving the population, but residents say they have seen little improvement in food availability despite new measures to facilitate aid distribution.

The leading international authority on food crises, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), has warned that the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip," predicting "widespread death" without immediate action. The IPC said Gaza has teetered on the brink of famine for two years, but recent developments, including "increasingly stringent blockades" by Israel, have "dramatically worsened" the situation. Nearly 17 out of every 100 children under 5 in Gaza City are acutely malnourished, and one in three people in Gaza is going without food for days at a time. Experts say the situation has reached a "deadly turning point," with widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease driving a rise in hunger-related deaths.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on the severe hunger crisis in Gaza, where nearly 100,000 women and children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition according to the UN's World Food Programme. Gupta details the life-threatening medical conditions resulting from this crisis. The situation has sparked a dispute between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, with Trump stating that the imagery of starvation in Gaza is "real" and Netanyahu claiming there is "no starvation in Gaza." A recent UN-backed agency alert warned that the "worst-case scenario of famine" is unfolding in Gaza.