UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Announces $135 Million Aid to Gaza, Supports Recognition of Palestinian State

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Announces $135 Million Aid to Gaza, Supports Recognition of Palestinian State
According to a report by Arab News:

London: As part of the UK government's effort to advance the establishment of a Palestinian state, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with his Palestinian counterpart Mohammad Mustafa in London on Monday.

During the meeting, Starmer expressed his “deep sorrow” over the loss of life in Gaza, where more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli military offensive resumed in late 2023.

He stated that the UK would continue to press for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and opposed the resumption of war in Gaza following the collapse of the previous peace agreement in mid-March.

Mustafa, the first Palestinian Prime Minister to visit Downing Street since 2021, also held talks with Foreign Secretary David Lammy. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that, according to the British Foreign Office, “enshrines the commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution.”

“We consider recognition of the Palestinian state as a contribution to the path of peace and reaffirm the UK's commitment to this matter,” the statement read.

The memorandum emphasized the need to unify Gaza and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority (PA), in return for the PA pledging political and economic reforms.

Additionally, the UK announced an aid package worth £101 million (approximately $135 million), which will be spent on humanitarian relief, economic development, and reform efforts.

Lammy said Mustafa's visit was “a significant step in strengthening our relationship with the Palestinian Authority at a critical time for peace in the Middle East.”

He added that Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007 and launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, “will have no role in the future of Gaza.”

In June, France and Saudi Arabia will co-host a UN conference aimed at garnering international support for recognizing the Palestinian state. Members of the UK's ruling Labour Party have recently urged the Foreign Office to formally recognize the Palestinian state, stating that the Franco-Saudi initiative is an opportunity for the UK.

The Israeli government strongly opposes recognition of a Palestinian state and formally expressed this stance through a parliamentary resolution in June 2024. Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government has taken various measures to weaken the Western-backed PA, including withholding Palestinian tax revenues collected on its behalf.

Netanyahu also criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to host a conference on Palestinian statehood.

Out of 193 UN member states, 147 have formally recognized the Palestinian state, including Spain, Ireland, and Norway. However, France, Canada, the UK, Italy, and Germany have yet to do so.