Keir Starmer Faces Pressure to Recognize Palestinian State Amid Gaza Crisis

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to convene a cabinet meeting next week to address the escalating crisis in Gaza, according to a government source. The meeting, first reported by the Financial Times, comes as the Labour leader faces mounting pressure to recognize a Palestinian state following similar moves by European allies.

The UK cabinet, currently in summer recess until September 1, will reconvene amid calls from more than 220 members of parliament, mostly Labour MPs, urging immediate recognition of Palestinian statehood. This represents roughly a third of the House of Commons.

Starmer reaffirmed on Friday that Britain would only recognize a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated peace deal, disappointing those within his party seeking faster action. His cautious stance contrasts with French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced last week that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state, following the lead of Spain, Norway, and Ireland. The decision by Paris has drawn strong criticism from Israel and the United States.

The debate comes amid worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza and growing international condemnation of Israel’s military actions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has rejected such criticism, insisting on its security priorities.

Starmer’s foreign policy approach is further complicated by his close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, who arrived in Scotland on Friday. Historically, Britain has rarely diverged from Washington’s position on Middle East policy, making any shift on Palestinian recognition a sensitive geopolitical move.

Successive UK governments have maintained that recognition of Palestinian statehood would occur “when the time is right,” without defining specific conditions or a timeline, leaving Starmer navigating a politically charged moment at home and abroad.