Labour’s Gaza stance, cautious optimism after past inaction
Labour’s weakness on foreign policy was exposed again in Parliament when Green Party MP Ellie Chowns pressed the Government on Gaza. She asked straightforward questions: had ministers secured any timeframe for Israel to ease the blockade and allow humanitarian aid? Would Israel be held accountable for the ongoing crisis? When would the UK publish its promised review of the 2030 UK–Israel Roadmap?
The answers from Hamish Falconer, the new Labour minister at the Foreign Office, were evasive. Rather than engage directly with her concerns, he repeatedly referred back to months-old statements from David Lammy, the former Foreign Secretary. The government had nothing new to offer, despite the worsening humanitarian situation.
The crisis in Gaza is severe: children are starving, hospitals are being bombed, and families are being displaced daily. Labour’s reluctance to confront the situation revealed a party struggling to assert moral leadership. Ellie Chowns’s pointed questions underscored the urgency of holding Israel accountable, but Falconer’s responses demonstrated caution bordering on paralysis.
Yet, in a recent and significant shift, Sir Keir Starmer announced the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state. In a video statement on X, he said: “In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution.” Australia, Canada, and Portugal also announced formal recognition, with France expected to follow.
The move has drawn criticism from Israel, some hostages’ families, and Conservative politicians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the decision unacceptable, claiming it rewards terrorism, while the US echoed similar concerns. Starmer insisted, however, that the recognition “is not a reward for Hamas,” emphasizing that the Palestinian leadership would have “no role in government, no role in security.”
The Foreign Office clarified that the UK now recognizes Palestinian statehood over provisional borders based on the 1967 lines, with equal land swaps to be negotiated in the future. The announcement reinforces the UK’s commitment to a two-state solution: Palestinians living in dignity and security alongside Israel.
This recognition was, in many ways, the only rational response after Israel’s relentless bombardment of civilian targets, the killing of countless children, and repeated violations of international law. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and two other senior officials have been implicated by the International Criminal Court for serious crimes. Judges on the ICC found reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant bore criminal responsibility as co-perpetrators for acts including the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. The ICC’s pre-trial chamber issued arrest warrants after rejecting Israel’s challenges to the Court’s jurisdiction.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the decision, noting that it could help pave the way for “the state of Palestine to live side by side with the state of Israel in security, peace and good neighbourliness.” Internationally, leaders framed the recognitions as steps to revive the stalled peace process. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called it a “partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future,” and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described it as part of a coordinated effort to generate momentum for a two-state solution.
Despite this, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza persists. Israel recently carried out an air strike on a Hamas negotiating team in Qatar, and efforts to secure a ceasefire remain faltering. Recognition of a Palestinian state is a significant diplomatic step, but it does not immediately alleviate the suffering on the ground.