Two hundred and twenty-one MPs last night mounted unprecedented cross-party pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to recognise Palestine as a state, as UN agencies warned Gaza is running out of specialised food to save severely malnourished children.
In a letter spanning nine parties, the parliamentarians urged the Prime Minister to make the formal recognition at a UN conference next week, stating they were “expectant” that the Government would outline when and how it would act on its “long-standing commitment on a two-state solution.”
The plea came as humanitarian agencies warned that supplies of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) will be depleted by mid-August if the Israeli blockade continues, leaving thousands of children at risk of death from starvation.
Prime Minister Resists Immediate Recognition
Sir Keir resisted the MPs’ demands, insisting that recognition “must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.”
Following an emergency call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the Prime Minister said: “Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan.”
The cross-party letter, coordinated by Labour MP Sarah Champion, chairwoman of the International Development Select Committee, urged action ahead of a UN conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on 28-29 July in New York.
We urge you to officially recognise the state of Palestine at the Conference next week,” the signatories wrote, representing Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SDLP and independent MPs.
France Leads G7 Nations
The pressure intensified after President Macron announced on Thursday that France would formally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, becoming the first G7 nation to take this step.
“Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine,” Macron declared on social media platform X.
The French decision drew immediate condemnation from Israel and the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio branded the move “reckless,” stating that Washington “strongly rejects” the announcement and that it “only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Macron’s decision, saying: “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel – not to live in peace beside it.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The political developments coincided with increasingly dire warnings about Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe. UN agencies reported that the enclave faces an acute shortage of specialised therapeutic food essential for treating severely malnourished children.
“We are now facing a dire situation, that we are running out of therapeutic supplies,” said Salim Oweis, a UNICEF spokesperson in Amman, Jordan. Supplies of RUTF would be exhausted by mid-August without immediate action, he warned.
Journalist Ahmed al-Arini shared harrowing images of 18-month-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, who has dropped from 9 to 6 kilograms, struggling to survive in a tent in Gaza City where milk, food and basic necessities are scarce.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, approximately 900,000 children are suffering from hunger, with at least 70,000 showing signs of malnutrition. The WHO reported that 21 children under five have died from malnutrition so far this year, with two more Palestinians dying overnight from starvation, bringing the total to 113.
Ceasefire Talks Collapse
The humanitarian crisis worsened as ceasefire negotiations in Qatar broke down on Thursday. US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced Washington was withdrawing its negotiating team, stating that Hamas “shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire” and was not “coordinated or acting in good faith.”
Trump, speaking before departing for Scotland, blamed Hamas for the breakdown: “It was too bad. Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die. Now we’re down to the final hostages and they know what happens after you get the final hostages.”
The collapse marks the latest setback in efforts to secure a deal that would bring a ceasefire to Gaza, secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and allow humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians.
Divided Response from British Politicians
Health Secretary Wes Streeting supported recognition, calling for it to happen “while there’s still a state of Palestine left to recognise.
However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch warned against following France’s lead, stating: “The French government’s decision to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state in this context, outside any direct negotiations, while hostages are still held, undermines the prospects of a lasting peace and sends a dangerous message to the world.
She added: “Keir Starmer must assist in seeking a peaceful end to this conflict rather than follow France’s misguided decision to reward the terrorist group that started it. The only path to peace that will see an end to the appalling suffering in Gaza is the complete eradication of Hamas.”
Aid Delivery Crisis
Palestinians have accused the IDF of “cutting off” Gaza, whilst Israel has insisted that Hamas is to blame for failing to deliver aid to civilians. The UK Government called Israel’s blockade policy “inhumane,” with communities described as being “drip-fed” aid.
The Liberal Democrats called on the RAF to “lead the way” in delivering aid drops via parachutes, after Israel said aid could be dropped into Gaza using this method.
Sarah Champion MP, who organised the cross-party letter, acknowledged that “recognition alone will not end the suffering in Gaza” but called it “an important symbolic step on the path to the two-state solution. That remains the only viable proposal to secure a lasting peace for the region.”
The UK Government maintains it will designate Palestine as a state in conjunction with allies at the “point of maximum impact” – though it has not specified what conditions would constitute that moment.
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Image Credit:
Starmer visits Vanguard submarine – Photo by UK Ministry of Defence, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL), via Wikimedia Commons.
