LABOUR have said that the Palestinian state should have no army or air force as part of the terms of UK recognition.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said the UK Government’s stance was backed by Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas.
Speaking on Sky News on Monday, a day after Keir Starmer announced Britain had formally recognised the state of Palestine, Falconer said: “The president of the Palestinian Authority has agreed a Palestinian state should be demilitarised, no army, no air force. It should pose no threat to the Israelis, with whom it should live in peace.”
Govt minister Hamish Falconer explains that the Palestinian state should have no army or air force. So it can't defend itself. The Labour govt is fond of saying the first duty of any govt is to defend its own people. Why doesn't that apply to Palestinians? pic.twitter.com/yhIqfos0Pn
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) September 22, 2025
Abbas currently has no authority over Gaza, which was controlled by Hamas and is occupied by Israel. The Palestinian Authority is run by Fatah, a rival political party.
It continues to claim the Gaza Strip, despite losing control of the territory following the five-day civil war of 2007, in which Hamas emerged victorious.
In effect, the Palestinian Authority only has partial civil control over enclaves in the West Bank.
Abbas has previously spoken of his desire for Palestinians to live in peace with Israel and for the state to be unarmed.
In a letter to French president Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman earlier this year, the Palestinian Authority leader said: “The Palestinian State should be the sole provider of security on its territory, but has no intention to be a militarised State.”
But Abbas (below) also said that Hamas “must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces”, referring to the armed forces which comprise the Palestinian Authority’s military and police force.
In a statement welcoming the UK’s announcement on Sunday, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot said recognition marked a “significant step towards peace and justice” but made no mention of the potential military capabilities of the Palestinian state.
Zomlot said: “We will continue to work, with partners in the UK and around the world, towards the realisation of a free, sovereign, and thriving State of Palestine and the fulfilment of all the rights of our people: freedom, equality, and a just resolution for Palestinian refugees in accordance with international law.”
Meeting with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper earlier this month, Abbas reaffirmed that the “state of Palestine is committed to establishing an unarmed state”, according to a report by the state-run Wafa news agency.
But the same report noted: “He stressed that any party or candidate wishing to participate in the elections must adhere to the political program and international commitments of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), respect international legitimacy, and uphold the principle of one authority, one law, and one legitimate security force.”
