Keir Starmer to make major announcement in hours

The UK is set to make history, as it will formally recognise Palestine as an independent state, it is understood.

Sir Keir Starmer is expected to make the announcement on Sunday, after he previously indicated that the government would do so back in June, unless Israel complied with a list of set conditions.

The prime minister had called on Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu to end what he described as "the appalling situation in Gaza" by taking substantive steps towards a peaceful solution, which included agreeing to a ceasefire, committing to a long-term sustainable peace plan, and allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid, alongside not annexing the West Bank.

Israel furiously rejected the demand and instead launching a scathing attack on Starmer, as they accused him of "rewarding Hamas's monstrous terrorism and punishing its victims".

Ilay David, the brother of Hamas hostage Evyatar David, who appeared looking emaciated in a video last month, said that giving recognition was akin to telling Hamas: "It is OK, you can keep starving the hostages, you can keep using 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."

Around 48 hostages are believed to still be held by Hamas, after they stormed into Israel on 7 October 2023, with the families of those still held strongly condemning any attempt to legitimise Palestine and recognise it as a state.

With no ceasefire in place and hostilities continuing to escalate between Israel and Palestine, the situation in Gaza has been growing steadily worse by the day, with a declaration of a famine in Gaza City and the expansion of Israeli military operations having painted a desperate picture of the devastation being endured by civilians within the country.

The concerning humanitarian situation comes as Israel has launched its latest military action to seize the whole of Gaza City in a bid to destroy Hamas, with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper having branded the move "utterly reckless and appalling".

It also comes after earlier this month, the United Nations formally concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza - a claim Israel has argued was "distorted and false".

The UK will join 147 of the 193 members of the UN who recognise Palestine ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.

Other nations who are understood to be making the same pledge include France, Australia and Canada, with nations in attendance at the meeting hoping that their collective recognition of Palestine will be enough to pressure Israel into ceasing it's hostile actions.

One British ally that won't be recognising Palestine however, is the United States, with President Donald Trump revealing on Thursday during his UK visit, that he disagreed with recognition.

Israel is understood to be considering how to respond to the UK, should it follow through on it's plan to formally recognise Palestine.

Slamming the PM's decision, shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel accused Starmer of sending a "dangerous message."

She said: "With the terrorist organisation Hamas still holding hostages in barbaric conditions and glorifying acts of terror, Starmer is sending a dangerous message, where violence and extremism are tolerated and rewarded."

However, recognition of Palestine would not automatically mean legitimisation of Hamas, as it is understood the UK government is also looking at further sanctions on the group.

These sanctions would be accompanied by a demand to release all remaining hostages, agree to an immediate ceasefire, and to accept that it will have no role in governing Gaza,