In recent days, many have been calling for the Government to recognise the state of Palestine.
Like all of you, I also continue to be appalled by the images of suffering we are seeing come out of Gaza. This cannot be allowed to carry on.
The Government is taking immediate steps to drop humanitarian aid into Gaza, get injured children out of Gaza and into British hospitals and press for UN deliveries of aid to resume. But we must do more to address this worsening crisis.
Following a long meeting of the Cabinet on July 29th, the Prime Minister laid out a pathway to the recognition of a Palestinian state in September, before the United National General Assembly (UNGA), unless the Israeli government takes steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and Hamas releases the remaining hostages.
Through its horrific actions in Gaza and the West Bank, Netanyahu’s government has undermined the viability of a two-state solution and any future peace process which could achieve security and prosperity for both Palestinians and Israelis.
It is vital that the international community makes it clear we will not allow a two-state solution to be prevented.
Working with our closest international partners, the Government will develop an agreement on the critical issues of governance, security, humanitarian access and ceasefire monitoring. All of these are vital if we are to avoid further conflict and a long-term solution.
As part of these arrangements, we will ensure that Hamas commits to disarmament and has no role in the future government of Gaza or the West Bank. We welcome the Arab Plan for Gaza and will work to ensure there are robust security arrangements for the return of a reformed Palestinian Authority to Gaza.
Critically, for this plan to succeed all parties to the conflict must now end the suffering in Gaza.
There must be a ceasefire. Israel must end its military campaign in Gaza. Hamas must release the remaining hostages.
Most urgently, humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach those who need it most: the thousands of civilians who have been besieged by war for months and now face starvation.
These steps will allow us to work towards longer-term peace and a two-state solution, alongside the normalisation of relations in the region.
The Government will make an assessment of how far the parties have met the steps before making a final decision ahead of the UNGA.
Our 2024 election manifesto reaffirmed our support for a two-state solution and stated that Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. I am therefore pleased to see the Prime Minister make this important commitment.