Britain supports eventual recognition of a Palestinian state, but the immediate priority should be alleviating the suffering in Gaza and securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a British cabinet minister says.
“We want Palestinian statehood, we desire it, and we want to make sure the circumstances can exist where that kind of long-term political solution can have the space to evolve,” British science and technology minister Peter Kyle tells Sky News.
“But right now, today, we’ve got to focus on what will ease the suffering, and it is extreme, unwarranted suffering in Gaza that has to be the priority for us today.”
His comments came after French President Emmanuel Macron said France intends to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the UN General Assembly, a plan that drew strong condemnation from Israel and the United States.
In a statement yesterday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said statehood was the “inalienable right of the Palestinian people,” reiterating his call for a ceasefire as a necessary step towards achieving a two-state solution.
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