WASHINGTON

The UK sharply rebuffed Israel on Tuesday for its restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza's starving population, calling the policies an "affront" to the UN charter.

"The devastation in Gaza is heartbreaking. Children are starving, and Israel's drip-feeding of aid has horrified the world. These are an affront to the values of the Charter of the United Nations," Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the Security Council.

"It is with the hand of history on our shoulders that His Majesty's government therefore intends to recognize the State of Palestine when the UN General Assembly gathers in September here in New York," he added, reiterating an announcement hours earlier by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer said London would take action "unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution." The remarks are an apparent effort to ratchet up diplomatic pressure on Tel Aviv.

Lammy said during the next eight weeks, the amount of time until world leaders converge on New York for the General Assembly, 10 Downing Street will seek to "affect the situation on the ground" in Gaza.

He maintained, however, that "recognition by itself will not change the situation on the ground. That is why we are taking immediate steps as well, like air dropping humanitarian supplies, along with our partners in Jordan, getting injured children into British hospitals and pressing for the resumption of the United Nations humanitarian assistance."

"We also believe that a lasting ceasefire requires urgent progress on governance and security in Gaza. We are therefore working with allies on a plan for long-term political negotiations and a two-state solution," he said.

Doctors Without Borders reported a dramatic surge in child malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, with cases among children under 5 tripling in recent weeks, as the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave continues to deteriorate.

The numbers are coming in amid mounting evidence of an accelerating hunger crisis. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported Monday that 14 Palestinians, including two children, had died from hunger and malnutrition in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total to at least 147 deaths since Oct. 7, 2023. Among the dead are at least 88 children.

The UN World Food Program echoed the alarm Tuesday, calling the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report on Gaza not a “warning” but an urgent “call to action.”

The global hunger monitoring body said Gaza is facing “the worst-case scenario of famine” due to continued military operations, widespread displacement, and the collapse of access to food and basic services.