Britain moving towards conditional recognition of a Palestinian state.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

Arabian Gulf - Britain - Follow-ups: Britain has announced that it will officially recognize the State of Palestine next September, unless the Israeli government takes substantial steps to end the suffering in Gaza, along with other conditions. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that London will take this step during the United Nations General Assembly meetings unless Israel meets specific conditions. Britain's conditions are: A ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza. Substantial steps to allow more aid to enter the Gaza Strip. A clear declaration not to annex the occupied West Bank. A commitment to a long-term peace process leading to a "two-state solution"; a Palestinian state coexisting peacefully alongside Israel. For his part, US President Donald Trump said that he and Starmer did not discuss Britain's plan to recognize a Palestinian state during their meeting. When Trump was asked if he agreed with Starmer's position that recognizing a Palestinian state is a step towards lasting peace, Trump said, "I don't mind him taking a position. I'm trying to feed people now... That's the most important position. There are a lot of hungry people." But on his way back to the United States on Tuesday, Trump considered that recognizing a Palestinian state would be a reward for Hamas. The recognition comes days after France took a similar step to recognize the State of Palestine. According to Reuters, about 144 out of 193 countries in the United Nations recognize Palestine as a state, including most countries of the Global South, in addition to Russia, China, and India. However, only a few of the European Union member states, which include 27 countries, recognize it, mostly former communist countries in addition to Sweden and Cyprus. Starmer's decision may put pressure on other major countries such as Germany, Australia, Canada, and Japan to follow suit. Germany said last Friday that it does not intend to recognize the Palestinian state in the near future. Source: Al Jazeera - Reuters