Keir Starmer has called the ‘starvation’ in Gaza ‘indefensible’ as he says the Palestinian people have ‘inalienable’ right to a state.
The Prime Minister said the situation has ‘reached new depths and continues to worsen’ while urging Israel to change course.
In a statement shared on social media, he called for ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict that would establish a path to Palestinian statehood.
Starmer’s intervention came at the same time French President Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to recognise a Palestinian state.
The French President said he will make the declaration at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
In a post an hour earlier, Keir Starmer said: ‘The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.
‘I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace.
‘We all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay.’
Starmer also called for Hamas to release Israeli hostages and said he supported negotiations efforts from the US, Qatar and Egpyt.
He added: ‘We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.’
Macron went a step further, confirming he would recognise a Palestinian state in order to achieve a ‘just and lasting peace in the Middle East’.
Macron said in a statement on X: ‘I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine.
‘I will make the solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September. The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population. Peace is possible.’
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