Summary
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan urged the UK government to immediately recognize Palestinian statehood.
He emphasized that “there can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.”
Khan condemned Israeli actions in Gaza, highlighting the humanitarian crisis and urging aid access.
Senior Labour figures also back early recognition ahead of a UN conference on Palestine.
The UK government plans recognition alongside allies “at the point of maximum impact” but faces growing pressure to act sooner.
As relief organizations have warned of malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, the Mayor of London stated that the United Kingdom "must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing."
"A stain on the conscience of the international community"
is how the Archbishop of York described the situation in Gaza.
In an open letter, more than 100 organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children, stated that they were witnessing their own coworkers and the Palestinians they assist "waste away."
“The government of Israel’s restrictions, delays and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation and death,”
the letter said.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, Labour mayor Sir Sadiq pointed to “starving children searching hopelessly for food in the rubble” and “family members being shot dead by Israeli soldiers as they search for aid”.
“The international community – including our own Government – must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing and let vital life saving aid in,”
he added.
Sir Sadiq went on:
“The UK must immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. There can be no two state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine.”
The mayor "should spend less time trying to play on the world stage" and "focus on fixing his own mess in the capital," according to Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary.
In the meantime, the Church of England's top bishop has called the Israeli government's "violence, starvation, and dehumanization" of the Gaza population "depraved and unconscionable."
There is "no time to wait" for more action to be taken to "stop this ongoing assault on Gaza," according to Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, who welcomed the UK and other countries' recent condemnation of the Israeli and US-backed current aid delivery model, which has reportedly resulted in Israel Defence Forces troops firing on Palestinian civilians in search of food on multiple occasions.
He said:
“With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanisation being inflicted on the civilian population by the government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable.
In the name of God, I cry out against this barbaric assault on human life and dignity. It is a stain on the conscience of the international community, and a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law.”
He reiterated that he opposed "any policy that would amount to the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population from Gaza," demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and demanded the release of all hostages.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), stated on Wednesday that the Gaza population is dealing with "yet another killer on top of bombs and bullets: starvation."
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has "reach[ed] out" and offered "support for WHO colleagues in Gaza," according to a post made by Dr. Tedros on X on Wednesday night.
In response, Mr Streeting said that
“We stand with healthcare workers in Gaza who are doing lifesaving work in most unimaginably challenging and horrific circumstances”.
On Tuesday, Mr Streeting called for recognition of Palestine “while there’s still a state of Palestine left to recognise”.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the Health Secretary described Israel’s attacks on healthcare workers as going “well beyond legitimate self-defence”.
He told MPs he hopes
“that the international community can come together, as the Foreign Secretary has been driving towards, to make sure that we see an end to this war, but also the recognition of the state of Palestine while there’s still a state of Palestine left to recognise”.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has hinted that Israel could face further sanctions from the UK if it does not agree to a ceasefire.
Asked by ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday what more he planned to do if Israel did not agree to end the conflict, the Foreign Secretary replied: “Well, we’ve announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months.
“There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behaviour and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end.”
In the October 7, 2023, attack that started the war and killed almost 1,200 people, Hamas-led militants kidnapped 251 individuals.
It is estimated that fewer than half of the 50 hostages who are still in Gaza are still alive.
What are the main arguments Sadiq Khan uses to support recognition of Palestine?
He asserts that “there can be no two-state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine,” emphasizing that ongoing Israeli military actions are eroding the possibility of a Palestinian state existing in the future.
Khan highlights the “absolutely harrowing scenes of suffering” due to starvation and ongoing Israeli attacks restricting aid to the 2 million residents of Gaza, framing recognition as part of addressing this urgent crisis.
He calls for the UK government to act “immediately,” aligning with efforts by senior Labour figures who advocate moving recognition forward ahead of a rescheduled UN conference (July 28-29, 2025) aimed at rallying international support for Palestinian statehood.