Starmer said Britain would make the move at the United Nations General Assembly unless Israel took substantive steps to allow more aid to enter Gaza

International News via Reuters:

Britain announced on Tuesday it was prepared to recognise a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the “appalling situation” in Gaza and meets other conditions.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision follows in the footsteps of France, after President Emmanuel Macron confirmed his country’s intention to pursue recognition of a Palestinian state and to encourage other partners to do the same.

Below are some details about Starmer’s announcement, driven by a rising global outcry over starvation and devastation in Gaza amid Israel’s war against Hamas militants, as well as other nations’ position on having Palestinian statehood recognised.

WHAT DID STARMER SAY?

Starmer said Britain would make the move at the United Nations General Assembly unless Israel took substantive steps to allow more aid to enter Gaza, makes clear there will be no annexation of the West Bank, and commits to a long-term peace process that delivers a “two-state solution” – a Palestinian state co-existing in peace alongside Israel.

He said his government would make an assessment in September on “how far the parties have met these steps”, but that no one would have a veto over the decision.

The prime minister reiterated that there was “no equivalence between Israel and Hamas and that our demands on Hamas remain, that they must release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept that they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm”.

WHY DID STARMER DO THIS?

Successive British governments have said they will formally recognise a Palestinian state when the time is right, without ever setting a timetable or specifying the necessary conditions.

Starmer said the move was timed to affect the situation on the ground in Gaza at a moment when the prospect of a two-state solution was under grave threat.

A growing number of lawmakers in Starmer’s Labour Party have been asking him to recognise a Palestinian state to put pressure on Israel.

HOW COULD THIS AFFECT U.S.-UK RELATIONS?

Starmer has been building warm relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, and Britain has rarely strayed from the United States on foreign policy matters.

The two leaders met in Scotland on Monday, but U.S. President Donald Trump said he and Starmer did not discuss Britain’s plan during their meeting.

When asked on Monday whether he agreed with Starmer’s earlier position on Palestinian statehood being a concrete step towards a lasting peace, Trump said: “I don’t mind him taking a position. I’m looking for getting people fed right now – that’s the number one position. You have a lot of starving people.”

Following France’s announcement last week, Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio outright rejected the plan, calling it a “reckless decision that only serves Hamas”.

HOW DID FRANCE REACT TO BRITAIN’S DECISION?

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X that Britain was “joining the momentum initiated by France for the recognition of the state of Palestine”.

“Together, through this pivotal decision and our combined efforts, we are putting an end to the endless cycle of violence and reopening the prospect of peace in the region,” Barrot said. “Nothing can stand in the way of a just and clear idea.”

WHAT HAS BEEN BRITAIN’S POSITION ON ISRAEL SINCE OCTOBER 7?

At the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, when Starmer was the opposition leader, he fully backed Israel’s right to defend itself. But his stance has shifted over the years to a tougher approach to Israel, especially since his election as prime minister just over a year ago.

His government dropped the previous administration’s challenge over arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and has suspended some weapon sales to Israel.

Last month, Britain sanctioned two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians.

WHO ELSE HAS RECOGNISED PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD?

Last year, Ireland, Norway and Spain recognised a Palestinian state with its borders to be demarcated as they were prior to the 1967 Middle East war, when Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.

However, they also recognised that those borders may change in any eventual talks to reach a final settlement, and that their decisions did not diminish their belief in Israel’s fundamental right to exist in peace and security.

About 144 of the 193 member states of the United Nations recognise Palestine as a state, including most of the global south as well as Russia, China and India. But only a handful of the 27 European Union members do so, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus.

The U.N. General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012 by upgrading its observer status at the world body to “non-member state” from “entity”.

WHO COULD BE NEXT?

Starmer’s decision may put pressure on other major countries like Germany, Australia, Canada and Japan to take the same path.

Germany said on Friday it was not planning to recognise Palestinian statehood in the short term, with its priority to make “long-overdue progress” towards a two-state solution – Israel and a Palestinian state co-existing in peace.

Italy’s foreign minister said recognition must occur simultaneously with the recognition of Israel by a new Palestinian state. “A Palestinian state that does not recognise Israel means that the problem will not be resolved,” Antonio Tajani told a gathering in Rome.

Reporting by Catarina Demony;Additional reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Jan Harvey

Starmer launched a coalition in September last year aimed at tackling youth knife crime

International News via Reuters:

A year after one of Britain’s most harrowing knife attacks, the government is urging young people to drop off bladed weapons at “amnesty” bins or mobile vans in a month-long campaign – part of efforts to control knife-related violence, particularly when it involves youths.

On July 29, 2024, teenager Axel Rudakubana, who was obsessed with violence and genocide, attacked a Taylor Swift-themed children’s dance event in the northern English town of Southport, killing three girls and stabbing 10 other people.

Since then, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government has pledged tougher age checks for knife buyers, warned social media firms they could face fines for failing to curb sales and promotion of weapons, and banned zombie-style knives and ninja swords.

Starmer launched a coalition in September last year aimed at tackling youth knife crime. Actor and anti-knife campaigner Idris Elba joined the conversation at a meeting this month, alongside King Charles.

Charities and experts interviewed by Reuters call the government’s efforts a step forward but say they largely fail to address the root causes. Some charities involved in classes and workshops aimed at young people are urging the government to make such education part of the national curriculum.

Overall, knife crime in England and Wales has risen 87% over the past decade, with 54,587 offences last year alone, a 2% rise from 2023 and among the highest rates in Europe, figures from Britain’s interior ministry show.

It did not provide a breakdown of knife crime offences by age group. But data from the justice ministry showed that in the year to March 2024 there were just over 3,200 knife or offensive weapon offences committed by children (aged 10-17) resulting in a caution or sentence.

Of the 262 people killed with a knife or sharp object in the 12 months to March 2024, 57 were under 25. Kitchen knives were the most commonly used weapons.

A public inquiry into the Southport murders that opened this month will begin by looking into the specifics of Rudakubana’s case before a second phase examines the wider issue of children being drawn into violence, an increasing concern for British authorities.

Amanda Marlow, from the youth charity Safety Centre, which runs knife crime awareness workshops in schools, says young people carry knives for a range of reasons. These include seeing it as a “quick fix” to make money when growing up in poverty, trying to gain status among peers, or being drawn into the wrong crowd, such as gangs, where they are often exploited.

Some police forces have launched dedicated knife crime units. In the West Midlands, one of the country’s worst-hit areas, the Guardian Taskforce focuses on reducing knife crime among under-25s.

In June alone, officers patrolled for over 3,000 hours, carried out 366 stop-and-searches, and seized 57 knives or offensive weapons. “Every knife seized is a life saved,” Inspector Kate Jeffries of the taskforce said in a statement.

After surviving the Southport stabbings, Leanne Lucas launched the “Let’s Be Blunt” campaign, calling for safer, rounded-tip kitchen knives instead of pointed ones.

POVERTY AND MENTAL HEALTH

Jade Levell, a researcher at the University of Bristol who studies masculinity, vulnerability and violence, said anti-knife crime efforts should focus on early intervention, such as mental health care, rather than short-term fixes like amnesty bins.

“Some boys see their only option is to be afraid or to make others afraid of them,” Levell said, referring to those growing up with violence, poverty or discrimination.

Some 4.5 million children are growing up in poverty in the UK, according to charities. In 2023, about 1 in 5 children and young people aged 8 to 25 years had a probable mental disorder, according to the National Health Service.

The government announced funding this month for hubs offering mental health and career support for young people at risk of gang involvement, violence or knife crime. The scheme, focused on high-risk areas, is starting with eight such centres and aims to have 50 open in the next four years.

EDUCATING YOUNG PEOPLE

The violent death of his son two years ago prompted Martin Cosser to found a charity dedicated to educating young people about knife crime, one of several such initiatives around the country.

Charlie’s Promise, named after 17-year-old Charlie who was stabbed multiple times in the chest by another teenager at a packed end-of-term party, has spoken to 41,000 young people in schools and elsewhere.

“Nothing brings my little boy home,” said Cosser, adding that far more must be done to stop the knife crime crisis spiralling out of control. “We need to understand the emotional drivers behind why people pick up knives.”

Charity Safety Centre delivers workshops in schools, specifically designed for children aged 9 to 12. At a recent session in a school in the southern English town of Milton Keynes, staff from the charity explained what knife crime is and the dangers it poses, encouraging active participation through questions and games.

Safety Centre and Charlie’s Promise are among several groups calling for such education to become a mandatory part of the national school curriculum.

Amani Simpson, who survived being stabbed in 2011 and now shares his story as a youth coach, believes societal pressures and some forms of entertainment such as violent video games also play a role in spawning knife crime.

“Young people feel displaced and disengaged … those things need to be uprooted,” Simpson said after a talk at TCES North West London, a special education school, emphasising the importance of helping them believe in their own potential so they make better choices.

“Hope for me is the missing piece,” he said.

Reporting by Catarina Demony and Ben Makori; Editing by William James, Andrew Heavens and Frances Kerry