By Andrew MacAskill and Sarah Young
LONDON (Reuters) -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will hold an emergency cabinet on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Gaza and a proposed peace plan as he comes under mounting pressure from his own party to recognise a Palestinian state.
Starmer has taken the rare step of recalling his cabinet during the summer holidays to discuss how to deliver more humanitarian aid to Gaza.
In a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Scotland on Monday, Starmer discussed the need for a ceasefire in Gaza and what he called the “revolting” humanitarian crisis.
Britain is working on the plan with France and Germany after a call between the leaders of the three countries last week.
Starmer has not shared details of the plan, but over the weekend he compared the proposals to the “coalition of the willing”, the international effort to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire in its war with Russia.
Starmer’s spokesman said he would discuss the plan with other international allies and countries in the Middle East.
War has raged in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas for the past 22 months. Israel has been facing growing international criticism, which its government rejects, over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
With warnings people in Gaza are facing starvation, growing numbers of lawmakers in Starmer’s Labour Party want him to recognise a Palestinian state to put pressure on Israel.
British foreign minister David Lammy will attend a United Nations conference in New York on Tuesday to urge support for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
Successive British governments have said they will formally recognise a Palestinian state when the time is right, without ever setting a timetable or specifying the necessary conditions.
The issue has come to the fore after President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France would recognise Palestine as a state.
Starmer has so far rejected plans to immediately recognise a Palestinian state, saying he was focused on “practical solutions”.
Last week, more than 200 British members of parliament from nine parties signed a letter Friday calling for an immediate recognition of a Palestinian state.
(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Editing by Paul Sandle)
Comments