Starmer says Hamas must have nothing to do with any future Palestinian state

He went on: “this is a really important point because this is nothing to do with recognition. That is my strong view, whatever the position on recognition, and we need to be really clear, this isn't a conditional issue”, he added.

The prime minister said that Hamas should release the Israeli hostages it has held since October 7, 2023: “Those hostages have been held a very, very long time in awful circumstances, unimaginable circumstances and Hamas is a terrorist organisation and that's why I'm really clear about Hamas and that's not a new position.”

Starmer repeated that an assessment would be made ahead of any formal decision to recognise Palestinian statehood.

Addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the prime minister said the government was doing all it could to alleviate “the awful situation on the ground.”

“You could see the images of starvation. The British public can see it and there's a sense of revulsion of what they're seeing. And they want this government quite rightly to do everything we can … And it's in that context that I set out our position on recognition”, he added.

The JC has reported that Labour MPs previously supportive of Starmer – including Luke Akehurst, Luke Myer and Mike Tapp – have urged the prime minister to reconsider his announcement on recognising a Palestinian state as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages.

The Conservative Party also criticised his announcement and accused Starmer of “planning to recognise a state effectively run by Hamas, with no conditions on the release of hostages”. 

On Saturday, a senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamed said that a recent push to recognise Palestine by countries including the UK, France and Canada was “one of the fruits of October 7.”

Government figures have refused to clearly state whether recognition would take place if Hamas were still to hold hostages.

Last week, following a meeting with senior Foreign Office officials and families of hostages, their lawyers expressed alarm that “in deciding whether to go ahead with recognition, the release or otherwise of the hostages would play no part in those considerations” and warned that the government’s stance “could hurt” their loved ones.

On Sunday, Jewish and pro-Israel groups are set to protest in central London against the government’s plans.

Writing in The Times on Wednesday, Board of Deputies President Phil Rosenberg said that it would be “totally unconscionable for Britain to effectively reward Hamas terrorism while the hostages remain in captivity, facing abuse and appalling conditions.

“We call on the government to confirm that there will be no recognition of a Palestinian state while hostages are still held by Hamas”, he added.