British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called an emergency cabinet meeting to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as calls grow louder for the UK to immediately recognise Palestinian statehood.
The high-level meeting follows alarming reports from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which claims that over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its military offensive in the enclave. According to the ministry, at least 112 people were killed in the past 24 hours alone.
Pressure is mounting on Starmer’s government from within the Labour Party and from international allies to adopt a firmer stance, particularly as the humanitarian situation worsens. On Tuesday, a UN-backed global food security body issued a stark warning, saying the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in Gaza. The organisation cited “mounting evidence” of widespread starvation and severe malnutrition, particularly among children and displaced civilians.
Despite recent measures by Israel to increase the flow of aid, multiple humanitarian agencies argue that the efforts fall drastically short. Aid organisations operating in the region have described a dire situation in which convoys are delayed or denied access, distribution routes are unsafe, and vital supplies remain insufficient.
Israel, however, maintains that it has placed no restrictions on humanitarian deliveries into Gaza. A spokesperson for the Israeli government reiterated on Tuesday that “there is no starvation,” accusing Hamas of mismanaging aid and using civilians as human shields.
Meanwhile, Downing Street is facing mounting pressure from MPs, rights groups, and the British public to recognise Palestinian statehood as a concrete step toward peace. Several Labour MPs have urged the prime minister to act swiftly, arguing that symbolic support without political recognition no longer suffices in the face of a growing humanitarian catastrophe.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy is expected to brief the cabinet on diplomatic options, including consultations with international partners on a potential roadmap to recognition and ceasefire negotiations.
The emergency meeting signals a possible policy shift, as the UK weighs its longstanding support for a two-state solution against the realities on the ground. Whether recognition of Palestinian statehood becomes formal government policy remains to be seen, but the worsening crisis in Gaza is pushing the issue to the forefront of British foreign policy.
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