UuNearly 60 Labour MPs have urged the British government to immediately recognise Palestine as a state, in response to what they describe as the ethnic cleansing of Gaza by Israeli forces.
The cross-section of MPs, including both centrist and left-leaning backbenchers, signed a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Thursday, expressing alarm over Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s recent announcement to forcibly relocate all Gazan civilians into a camp on the devastated ruins of Rafah.
“It is with great urgency and concern that we are writing to you regarding the Israeli defence minister’s announcement,” the MPs stated. “The plans have been described by a leading Israeli human rights lawyer, Michael Sfard, as ‘an operational plan for crimes against humanity’. We believe there is a clearer description: the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.”
The letter urges the government to take five specific actions, including measures already in motion such as continued funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) and efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. However, other recommendations are more contentious, including an immediate recognition of Palestinian statehood and a trade blockade on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The MPs argue that delaying recognition undermines the UK’s long-standing support for a two-state solution. “By not recognising [Palestine] as a state, we undermine our own policy of a two-state solution and set an expectation that the status quo can continue and see the effective erasure and annexation of Palestinian territory,” they wrote.
The call comes just days after French President Emmanuel Macron echoed a similar position during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the conclusion of his state visit to the UK. Macron declared: “Calling today for a ceasefire in Gaza without any condition is telling the rest of the world that for us as Europeans, there is no double standard. As we are attached to human lives… we want the ceasefire, no discussion.”
He added: “Working together to recognise the state of Palestine and to initiate this political momentum is the only path to peace.”
UK govt maintained recognising Palestinian statehood
The UK government has maintained that it will recognise Palestinian statehood “at a time of maximum impact” in support of peace negotiations, though it has yet to specify what that moment would entail. A Foreign Office spokesperson reiterated: “We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state and to doing so when [it] will have most impact in support of a peace process.”
Several European nations, including Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Sweden, have already taken the step of recognising Palestine. France, while not yet following suit, has been applying increasing pressure on its Western allies to coordinate such recognition.
The letter was organised by the Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East and signed by 59 MPs, including the group’s co-chairs, Sarah Owen and Andrew Pakes. High-profile signatories include Liam Byrne, chair of the Business and Trade Committee, and prominent backbenchers such as Diane Abbott, Stella Creasy, Clive Lewis, Dawn Butler and Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi.
It marks the second time in recent weeks that Labour MPs have formally urged ministers to recognise Palestine, though it is the first such letter where the names of all signatories have been made public.
The Foreign Office has been contacted for further comment.
