The inauguration of a Palestinian embassy in London serves as "proof that our identity cannot be denied," according to Ambassador Husam Zomlot. He hailed the upgrading of Palestine’s mission in Hammersmith as "historic" and "monumental."
This development follows the UK Government’s September 2025 decision to recognise the state of Palestine, an action taken to "protect the viability of a two-state solution" in the region.
The mission was previously known as the Palestinian general delegation.
Speaking at a ceremony marking its inauguration as an embassy, he said: “This is not merely a change of name, and the plaque we will unveil shortly represents far more than formality.
“It is a change of direction, reflecting the reality we are living today, a reality that unequivocally recognises, at long last, our inalienable right to sovereign statehood.
“For generations of Palestinians in Gaza, in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in refugee camps and across the diaspora, this embassy represents proof that our identity cannot be denied, our presence cannot be erased, and our lives cannot be devalued.”
Mr Zomlot said the move was the result of “100 years of relentless struggle”, but added that he felt “the shadow that hangs over us today” as people in Gaza were “living in hell”.
The ceremony also heard from Obaidah, a 14-year-old Palestinian refugee wounded during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza last year and evacuated to the UK for medical treatment.
Saying he hoped one day to become a Palestinian ambassador, Obaidah said: “Having the embassy in the United Kingdom is very meaningful.
“It is a place where our people are seen, where our voices are heard, and where our hope for justice and dignity lives.”
On Monday an Israeli strike in Gaza hit a tent housing displaced people, killing a 5-year-old girl and her uncle and wounding two other children, hospital officials said.
The strike took place in the Muwasi area northwest of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, officials at Nasser Hospital said.
The Associated Press couldn't independently very those details. Family members wept over the bodies as they were brought to the hospital.
The dead are among the more than 400 people killed in Gaza since an October ceasefire began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The Israeli military said on social media it struck a Hamas militant who planned an imminent attack on Israeli troops in the southern Gaza Strip.
It was not immediately clear if the statement referred to the fatal tent strike. The military also said that, because of continued ceasefire violations, it had begun striking Hezbollah and Hamas terror targets in southern and eastern Lebanon.
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