RAMALLAH, Palestine/ISTANBUL

Palestinian leaders hailed Britain’s announcement Tuesday that it intends to recognize the State of Palestine during a UN General Assembly meeting in September, describing the move as a reaffirmation of its commitment to international law.

“We welcome the United Kingdom's announcement of its intention to recognize the State of Palestine in September,” Vice President of Palestine Hussein al-Sheikh wrote on X.

He called the step “a confirmation of its commitment to international law and legitimacy and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state, which ensures the protection of the two-state solution.”

Al-Sheikh also said the British declaration “constitutes a serious contribution to consolidating security and stability and achieving peace in the region.”

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a statement praising British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement, describing it as “a courageous step that places the UK on the right side of history.”

It praised Britain’s stance on the Palestinian situation overall and Gaza specifically, as well as its support for enabling Palestine to exercise full political and legal authority over all territories occupied in 1967.

This, the ministry said, is “a path toward achieving peace in accordance with international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.”

The ministry urged countries that have yet to recognize Palestine to do so “as a means of safeguarding the two-state solution and confronting the crimes of genocide, forced displacement and annexation being committed against the Palestinian people.”

Starmer said his government would move to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September “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.”

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that France would officially recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly in September.

So far, 149 of the UN’s 193 member states have recognized Palestine – a number that has steadily risen since Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023.

The UK’s decision comes amid mounting domestic and international pressure on Israel to end its genocidal war in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,000 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages.

On Monday, the Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, citing the systematic destruction of Palestinian society and the deliberate dismantling of the territory’s health care system.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.