Britain will recognise the state of Palestine in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the “appalling situation” in Gaza and meets other conditions, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the cabinet.

“He said that the UK will recognise the state of Palestine in September, before UNGA (United Nations General Assembly), unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a Two State Solution,” a government statement on the meeting said.

“It had been this Government’s longstanding position that recognition of a Palestinian state was an inalienable right of the Palestinian people and that we would recognise a Palestinian state as part of a process to peace and a two-state solution,” it added.

“Because of the increasingly intolerable situation in Gaza and the diminishing prospect of a peace process towards a Two-State Solution, now was the right time to move this position forward.”

Starmer will make an assessment ahead of UNGA on “how far the parties have met these steps before making a final decision.”