Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that Britain plans to deliver on its ultimatum to recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly unless there is a breakthrough on a ceasefire
The UK is expected to press ahead with recognising a Palestinian state this month as Israel shows no sign of pulling back.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that Britain plans to deliver on its ultimatum to recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly unless there is a breakthrough on a ceasefire.
Officials are expected to formally assess whether Israel has met Keir Starmer’s tests, which include ending the “appalling situation” in Gaza, agreeing to a ceasefire and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.
Mr Lammy said: “Unless we get the breakthrough that we need on the ceasefire, and a full process, we will move to recognition when the UN meets at UNGA (the UN General Assembly) in New York.”
He hit back at critics of the plan, saying: “To those who say recognition rewards Hamas or threatens Israeli security, it does neither. Recognition is rooted in the principle of a two-state solution, which Hamas rejects.”
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He added: “We see no contradiction between the two-state solution and our deep commitment to Israeli security, because security comes from stable borders, not indefinite occupation.”
In a statement to Parliament on Monday, Mr Lammy tore into the Israeli Government for creating a “man-made famine”, which he warned would spread into widespread starvation without urgent action.
Over 300 people have died of malnutrition, including 119 children, since the start of July.
He said: “It’s a man-made famine in the 21st Century, and I’m outraged by the Israeli Government’s refusal to allow in sufficient aid.
“We need a massive, massive humanitarian response to prevent more deaths, crucial NGOs, humanitarians and health workers allowed to operate and stockpiles of aid on Gaza’s borders released.”
The UK will fund another £15million in aid and medical care for the war-torn territory, through medical aid charity UK-Med and World Health Organisation Egypt.
Urgent efforts are also underway to bring children in need of medical care to the UK for NHS treatment, with the first patients expected “in the coming weeks”, he said.
Mr Lammy said the Government was ramping up pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to allow these medical evacuations.
He said: “We’re extracting people from a war zone, of course, it is complex and dangerous. It relies entirely on Israeli permissions, and I’m pressing the Israeli government for this to happen as quickly as possible.”
He described scenes on the ground as “unimaginably bleak”, adding: “Horrifying images and accounts will be seared into the minds of colleagues across this house. They are almost impossible to put into words.”
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