UK to recognise Palestinian state draws ire from Israeli hostage-relatives

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in a video address that the United Kingdom will recognise a Palestinian state, aligning with Canada and Australia in a symbolic move aimed at pressuring Israel toward a Gaza ceasefire and safeguarding the prospect of a lasting two-state solution. The decision, described by officials as a necessary step to preserve a negotiated path for Israelis and Palestinians, comes almost two years after Hamas launched attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, that sparked months of bloodshed and left tens of thousands dead or displaced in Gaza. British officials stressed that recognition would not by itself ease the humanitarian crisis or free hostages held by Hamas, but they argued the move is designed to keep open the possibility of a two-state arrangement in the long term.

Relatives of Israeli hostages condemned the decision, arguing that recognising a Palestinian state amounts to rewarding Hamas for the Oct. 7 attacks while hostages remain in captivity. Mandy Damari, who has pressed for the release of her British-Israeli daughter Emily, told the Daily Mail that Keir Starmer is "under a two–state delusion" and that the move would be an insult to those who suffered. "But even if he thinks he is right, he is rewarding Hamas for the October 7 barbaric and savage attack on Israel when the hostages are still not back, the war is not over and Hamas are still in power in Gaza." Steve Brisley, whose sister and two nieces were killed by Hamas, said the decision is "nothing less than rewarding terrorism" and argued it would not free hostages or relieve suffering in Gaza. "What it does is send a signal: mass murder will be excused — even rewarded." The two relatives highlighted the personal toll of the conflict and the perceived contradiction between a push for peace and the ongoing Hamas governance in Gaza.

The government has acknowledged that recognising a Palestinian state would not directly ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza or contribute to the release of hostages, but officials say the move is intended to safeguard the possibility of a two-state solution in the long run, with Israel existing alongside a Palestinian state. Starmer framed the decision as a response to a fading window for peace, saying Hamas remains a brutal terror organisation and insisting that the new policy is the exact opposite of their violent aims. He argued that the moment has arrived to recognise a Palestinian state, while warning that the path to a lasting settlement remains fragile as the humanitarian crisis deepens and Israeli settlements expand in the West Bank.

Ilay David, the brother of hostage Evyatar David, who appeared in a Hamas video emaciated last month, criticized the move, saying that recognition would be tantamount to telling Hamas that it can continue to starve hostages and use them as human shields. "This kind of recognition gives Hamas power to be stubborn in negotiations. That is the last thing we need right now," he said.

The decision drew mixed reactions within Labour. Some on the party's left welcomed Starmer's stance, while others expressed concern that the move could undermine leverage in negotiations to secure hostage releases and disarm Hamas. Labour Friends of Israel issued a pointed response, arguing that outside of a meaningful peace process the recognition would change nothing on the ground and could weaken a diplomatic lever available to pursue two key goals: the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas for more than 700 days and the disarmament of Hamas in any future Palestinian governance. LFI also stressed the need to address barriers posed by the Iranian regime and the push for reform within the Palestinian Authority, urging the government to focus on steps toward those objectives.

Netanyahu swiftly criticized the decision, calling the move "absurd" and "simply a reward for terrorism." In response, Starmer said Hamas remains a brutal terror organisation and stressed plans to escalate sanctions on the group. He insisted that the UK’s push for a genuine two-state solution is the opposite of Hamas’s hateful vision. Yet he acknowledged that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing settlement activity in the West Bank have complicated the path to a two-state solution, adding that the hope for such a settlement is fading but that it must not be abandoned.

The international context remains strained. Supporters of the recognition argue that it preserves a political framework for peace, while opponents contend that it shifts focus away from immediate relief for Gaza and hostage negotiations. Officials noted that the British government’s position aligns with a broader, longstanding belief in a two-state solution as the only durable path to Israel’s security and Palestinian self-determination, even as both sides face significant and ongoing security and humanitarian challenges. As the situation evolves, lawmakers and advocacy groups on both sides of the debate are urging a renewed emphasis on concrete steps toward a negotiated settlement, a reduction of violence, and measurable progress on humanitarian relief and hostage negotiations.