I have been appalled by the horrific scenes in Gaza, including images of starvation, desperation, and the suffering of children and babies.
The Prime Minister has spoken to world leaders, including President Trump, on Monday about getting aid into Gaza immediately.
As a Government, we are working with the Jordanians on accelerating aid airdrops and supporting evacuations of sick and injured children from Gaza to the UK and into hospitals here.
I attended the Cabinet meeting yesterday, at which we made the decision to set out a pathway to recognition of a Palestinian state in September, before the United Nations General Assembly. It is part of a wider plan for peace aimed at ending the suffering and re-establishing a pathway to a two-state solution.
As we have consistently said, Hamas must immediately release the hostages, agree to a ceasefire, commit to disarmament, and have no role in the future governance of Gaza.
The Prime Minister’s plan for peace is centred on creating the conditions for a lasting peace in Gaza, as the basis for a wider process to find a long-term political solution in the Middle East.
Working with our closest allies, we will develop a broad agreement on the critical issues of governance, security, humanitarian access, and ceasefire monitoring. These issues are vital if we are to avoid further rounds of conflict, and essential if we are to build a longer-term horizon for a political solution.
We will work with international partners to ensure, as part of these robust arrangements, Hamas has no role in the future government of Gaza or the West Bank, and that Hamas commits to disarmament. We have welcomed the Arab Plan for Gaza and will work with partners to ensure that there are robust security arrangements for Gaza that form the basis for the return of a reformed Palestinian Authority to Gaza.
Critical to all of this are the actions that all parties to the conflict must take now to end the suffering in Gaza.
There must be a ceasefire. Israel must withdraw from Gaza and end its military campaign.
Hamas must release all the remaining hostages it has held for the last 661 days.
Above all, urgent humanitarian assistance must reach those who need it most—civilians who have been besieged by months of war and now face starvation without immediate action.
These steps will allow us to work towards longer-term peace and make a two-state solution realistic again, alongside normalisation of relations in the region.
It is an ambitious plan. It builds on the concrete actions this Labour Government has taken since we came to office:
- Suspending arms licences
- Sanctioning far-right Israeli ministers
- Suspending trade negotiations
- Nearly a quarter of a billion pounds of humanitarian support
- Our support for hostage families
- Our landmark agreement with the Palestinian Authority
We are determined to protect the viability of a two-state solution. We intend to recognise the State of Palestine when the UN General Assembly gathers in September, based on our assessment of how far the parties have met the steps we set out.
This Labour Government was elected on a manifesto that committed to recognising the State of Palestine. It has always been a question of when, not if.
Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. It is also essential to the long-term security of Israel.
Netanyahu’s government, through its actions and statements in Gaza and the West Bank, has undermined the viability of the two-state solution, and therefore the viability of any future peace process that could achieve security and prosperity for Palestinians and Israelis.
It is vital that the international community demonstrates to the Israeli government that we will not allow a two-state solution to be prevented. Given the situation on the ground, there is a historic, moral, and diplomatic imperative to take this action now.
Our demands on Hamas stand. It must release all the hostages, lay down its arms, agree to a ceasefire, and play no role in the future governance of Gaza. These demands are absolute, and there can be no resolution to this conflict or security for the Israeli people until they are met.
Our approach to recognition forms part of a broader plan for peace, aimed at ending the horrific suffering and re-establishing a pathway to a two-state solution. We aim to create the conditions for a lasting peace in Gaza, as the basis for a wider process to find a long-term political solution in the Middle East.
There is no contradiction between support for Israel’s security and support for Palestinian statehood. In fact, the opposite is true: statehood for the Palestinians is in Israel’s long-term interest as the only route to a just and lasting peace. Netanyahu’s rejection of a two-state solution is not only wrong but also harms the interests of the Israeli people.
We will make an assessment ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in September on how far these steps have been met. No one side will have a veto on recognition through their actions or inactions.
The Prime Minister’s official statement on this matter can also be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-words-on-gaza-29-july-2025