UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has cautioned Israel not to retaliate against Britain’s recognition of Palestinian statehood by annexing parts of the West Bank.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of a UN conference in New York, Cooper said she had made it clear to Israeli officials that annexation must not be used as a response to the UK’s policy shift. She stressed that the move was about safeguarding security for both Israelis and Palestinians while reviving hopes for peace in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that the UK would officially recognise a Palestinian state, joining Canada, Australia, and Portugal. France, Belgium, and other European nations are expected to follow suit.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision, describing it as “a huge reward to terrorism.” Israeli officials echoed this stance, with spokesperson David Mencer accusing Labour of “betrayal.”
Cooper countered that extremists on both sides were trying to block the two-state solution, which she said the UK had a moral duty to support. “Just as we recognise the state of Israel, so we must also recognise the rights of Palestinians to a state of their own,” she said.
Starmer dismissed claims that recognition rewarded Hamas, stressing that the group has “no future role in government or security.” The Foreign Office confirmed it would continue sanctioning Hamas figures while working to build a regional framework for peace.
International reactions have been mixed. Hamas welcomed the recognition as an “important step,” while UK Conservatives and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage condemned it as a victory for the militant group. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, however, called the move an “essential path” towards peace.
At the UN, France and Saudi Arabia are co-chairing talks aimed at charting a path toward a two-state solution. The Palestinian Authority welcomed the UK’s move, saying it could help pave the way for coexistence with Israel “in peace and good neighbourliness.”
Palestine is recognised by about three-quarters of UN member states, though it lacks defined borders and sovereignty over its territory. The two-state solution envisions a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital, along pre-1967 borders.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high. UN experts recently accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, reporting nearly 65,000 deaths since the conflict escalated in 2023 and warning of famine in Gaza City. Israel rejected the findings, calling them biased and unfounded.
With settlement expansion continuing in the West Bank, UK ministers said the recognition of Palestinian statehood was necessary to prevent the two-state solution from collapsing entirely.
