British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the UK's recognition of a Palestinian State on Sunday afternoon,
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy told Sky News earlier on Sunday morning that "any step to recognize (a Palestinian state) is because we wish to keep alive the prospects of a two-state solution."
Starmer originally confirmed his intention in a statement in July. At the time, he said he would recognize a Palestinian state before the UN General Assembly in September, unless the Israeli government takes "substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza" such as allowing in more aid.
The UNGA one-day conference on the matter is set to take place on Monday. Portugal and France are also set to recognize a Palestinian state, while Canada and Australia formally recognized the state along with Starmer.
Israel remains vehemently opposed to the recognition of a Palestinian state, especially as the war against Hamas persists. At the time of Starmer's announcement in July, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Starmer rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims. A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW. Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you, too. It will not happen."
Almost nine in ten Britons do not back Starmer's decision
And it is not only Israel that opposes the move: Almost nine in ten Britons do not back Starmer recognizing a Palestinian state without conditions, according to a poll carried out by JL Partners and published by the Telegraph on Saturday.
Just 13 per cent of Britons support Palestine being recognised without any conditions. 51 per cent oppose recognition while Hamas still controls Gaza and has not released any hostages, and 40 per cent believe a condition of statehood should be Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire and releasing hostages.
Another strong opposing force comes in the form of US President Donald Trump, who made a state visit to the UK last week.
During his meeting with his British counterpart, Trump said he did not agree with the plan to recognize a Palestinian state. Following the meeting, reports circulated in British media that the UK is intending to hit Hamas with new sanctions as a way of appeasing Trump.
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, called it a “feeble last-minute attempt."
“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,” she said on Saturday.