British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is planning to announce new sanctions on the Hamas terror group at the same time as he announces the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state, the Telegraph newspaper reports.
British media reported on Saturday that Starmer will publish a statement on Sunday confirming the UK’s recognition of an independent Palestinian state, following the France-led push for coordinated recognition at the UN General Assembly.
The decision to simultaneously introduce new sanctions on Hamas is, in part, an attempt to appease the US, the Telegraph says, as President Donald Trump has publicly voiced his displeasure over Starmer’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
In July, Starmer announced that he would recognize a Palestinian state if Israel didn’t heed international calls and take steps toward a ceasefire in Gaza alongside devising a permanent solution for the Strip and allowing the flow of humanitarian aid and goods.
Starmer is set to speak at the General Assembly on Friday, four speakers after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Tal Schneider contributed to this report.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, September 21, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
