Published: 2025-07-29 10:18:28 | Views: 13
Keir Starmer will hold an emergency Cabinet meeting today amid fears of a Labour revolt over the Gaza hunger crisis.
The Prime Minister is under pressure to recognise Palestine as a state as fears of mass starvation intensifies.
Sir Keir shared plans he is working on with France and Germany to "bring about a lasting peace" with US President Donald Trump when they met in Scotland, Downing Street said.
And he plans to share details with Arab states and other key allies in the coming days.
Sir Keir is facing mounting calls to recognise Palestinian statehood immediately, with 255 MPs signing a letter backing the move - up from 221 on Friday.
This includes 147 Labour MPs - more than half the party's backbenchers. The letter came after President Emmanuel Macron announced France intended to recognise Palestinian statehood in the coming months.
Labour's election manifesto included a pledge to recognise a Palestinian state "as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state".
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The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "This week, the Prime Minister is focused on a pathway to peace to ensure immediate relief for those on the ground, and a sustainable route to a two-state solution.
"We are clear that the recognition of the Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if, but it must be one of the steps on the path to a two-state solution as part of a wider plan that delivers lasting security for both Palestinians and Israelis."
Amid international alarm over starvation in Gaza, Israel announced at the weekend that it would suspend fighting in three areas for 10 hours a day and open secure routes for aid delivery.
The UK confirmed it was taking part in airdrops of aid into the territory.
Aid agencies have welcomed the new measures but said they were not enough to counter the rising hunger in the Palestinian territory.
Sir Keir said that the British public is "revolted" at the scenes of desperation in Gaza as he appeared alongside Mr Trump at his Turnberry golf course on Monday.
"It's a humanitarian crisis, it's an absolute catastrophe.
"Nobody wants to see that. I think people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they're seeing on their screens, so we've got to get to that ceasefire."
The US president hinted at sticking points in US-led negotiations over a peace deal, saying Palestinian militant group Hamas had become "very difficult to deal with" in recent weeks.
Some Labour MPs are said to fear Sir Keir’s reluctance to recognise Palestine as a state has demanded the party’s relationship with voters.
One Labour MP said the Prime Minister was “all words – no action, no further sanctions”, while another said “I don’t think people will settle for anything less than recognition now.”
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the Palestinian people must be "rewarded for what they've been through".
Peter Kyle told Times Radio: "No longer can we sit back and see what is happening in that region and think that the Palestinian people should not be rewarded for what they've been through, and have the tools at their disposal to move them towards the kind of peace, stability and dignity that every citizen in every country is owed."
But he insisted that Hamas must not be "rewarded for their actions on October 7".
Mr Kyle denied that Tuesday's emergency Cabinet meeting on Palestine was intended to appease angry members of the Labour Party.
Peter Kyle told Times Radio: "This is absolutely not about appeasing anyone within any other party in this country.
"This is about being moved by the devastation that we're seeing in Gaza itself.
"Anyone who thinks that you could see those images and put any party political issues ahead of that is sorely misguided guided and certainly underestimates the way that Keir Starmer approaches dealing with national and international issues."