THE UK Government has formally recognised the state of Palestine.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer made the announcement in a video posted on social media on Sunday afternoon, where he said "the offensive of recent weeks, the starvation and devastation, are utterly intolerable".
Starmer said: "I state clearly as Prime Minister of this great country that the United Kingdom formally recognizes the state of Palestine.
"We recognize the state of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people.
"Today we join over 150 countries who recognize a Palestinian state also - a pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people that there can be a better future."
The announcement came just minutes after Canada and Australia made similar declarations.
Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine. pic.twitter.com/yrg6Lywc1s
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 21, 2025
Starmer had said in July he would recognise Palestine ahead of the gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly next week, if the situation in Gaza did not improve.
Israel's brutal assault on Gaza has killed at least 65,283 people in Gaza, with at least 55 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn on Sunday – 37 of them killed in Gaza City.
Speaking on Sunday, the Prime Minister said "the man-made humanitarian crisis in Gaza" has reached "new depths".
He added: "The Israeli government's relentless and increasing bombardment of Gaza, the offensive of recent weeks, the starvation and devastation, are utterly intolerable."
The Prime Minister went on to say he had directed work to sanction Hamas figures "in the coming weeks", adding that the announcement is "not a reward for Hamas because it means Hamas can have no future, no role in government, no role in security".
The formal recognition of Palestine comes just days after a UN inquiry found Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
The UK Government has long been under pressure to formally recognise the state of Palestine, alongside taking a range of measures including the suspension of arms exports to Israel and sanctions on Israeli cabinet members.
Ministers have so far refused to condemn Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, with the UK Government ruling earlier this month that Israel is not committing genocide – contradicting a mounting body of international experts who say otherwise.
In 2023, shortly after Hamas launched the October 7 attack on Israel, Starmer appeared to suggest in an interview with LBC that Israel has "the right" to withhold energy and water from Gaza.
He later clarified that he had intended to say that Israel has the right to defend itself and retrieve the around 200 hostages being held – “within international law”.
An event to commemorate the formal recognition of Palestine took place in London on Sunday and was attended by First Minister John Swinney.
Ahead of the event, Swinney urged the Labour Government to go further and impose sanctions on Israel, as well as commit to a range of other measures.
The First Minister said: "The recognition of a Palestinian state is a historic moment which should have come long ago. I welcome this long-awaited recognition, but stress that it must not be conditional and it must be backed by sanctions against Israel."
The Scottish Parliament voted for an immediate boycott of Israel and companies complicit in genocide at the beginning of September, where the First Minister again reiterated calls for the UK to formally recognise Palestine.
Husam Zomlot, Palestinian ambassador to the UK, welcomed the "long-overdue" decision, but warned that "recognition must now be followed by action".
He said: "We thank the UK Government for taking this significant step towards peace and justice, and we extend our deepest gratitude to the people of the United Kingdom and Members of Parliament whose steadfast support made this moment possible.
"Above all, this moment belongs to the people of Palestine. It is the fruit of more than a century of struggle, sacrifice, steadfastness, and love of our homeland. It is because of their resilience that the State of Palestine is being recognised here today."
Zomlot added: "Today marks the opening of a new chapter. 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."
