Labour MPs Urge No 10 To Reconsider Palestine Recognition Amid Hostage Concerns
4 min read
A number of Labour MPs have urged No 10 to reconsider recognising a Palestinian state in September if Hamas are still holding hostages in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Labour MPs raised concerns with No 10 about Starmer being prepared to recognise a Palestinian state without setting preconditions for Hamas.
Some pro-Israel MPs were left shaken after a post on X (formerly Twitter) from the Lawyers for British Hostages was shared over WhatsApp, which claimed Starmer's position could "reward Hamas for its heinous and illegal acts" on October 7.
Lawyers for British Hostages have represented seven of the 10 hostages held by Hamas who are either British or have very close British ties, including Emily Damari.
A Labour Friends of Israel spokesperson told PoliticsHome it has consistently called for Hamas to release all Israeli hostages unconditionally and for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza to address the humanitarian situation.
"Hamas could end this conflict tomorrow by releasing the hostages and laying down its arms. Relentless, coordinated international pressure needs to be brought to bear on them to do so, and any suggestion that they are being disincentivised to agree to release the hostages must be urgently clarified.
"We remain in constant dialogue with the government on these issues.”
The Prime Minister on Tuesday said it was an "inalienable right of the Palestinian people" and "essential to the long-term security" of Israel for their to recognise a state.
He added that his message to "the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged and unequivocal".
"They must immediately release all the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza. We will make an assessment in September on how far the parties have met these steps."
One Labour MP involved in the talks with Downing Street told PoliticsHome: "It was almost like someone flicked a switch and said, 'Right, we've got to get recognition for a Palestinian state'.
They added: "No, we don't! This is a complete aside. What we need to do is to get aid through and alleviate the suffering."
MPs involved in the discussions were also set to meet national security adviser Jonathan Powell in June to voice their concerns about recognising a Palestinian state before a United Nations conference, which was later postponed to September.
Another Labour MP told PoliticsHome they were concerned that while the situation in Gaza was dire, recognising a state now would reward Hamas. "There is a confusion [in thinking] that it will help with the aid situation."
Starmer said in his speech on Tuesday that the government will recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel allows the UN to supply humanitarian support in Gaza, agrees to a ceasefire, and makes clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.
At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer stressed there was no moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas. Starmer said the UK will not accept Hamas playing any role in the government of Gaza, and that it should disarm and release all the remaining hostages.
The news comes after more than 100 Labour MPs signed a letter to recognise a Palestinian state immediately.
Starmer faced his first major rebellion in November 2023 as opposition leader when 56 of his MPs voted for an immediate ceasefire. Ten of the party's frontbenchers left their roles because of it.
Recognising a Palestinian state was a manifesto commitment from the Labour Party in 2024.
With a fractious parliamentary party on such a contentious issue, the Prime Minister is thought to have little room to manoeuvre politically.
A Government spokesperson said: "We have announced our intention to recognise Palestine in September to protect the viability of the two-state solution. The first step in that process must be a ceasefire and there is no question about that.
“Our demands on Hamas have not changed. For there to be any chance of peace, the hostages must be released. Hamas must lay down its weapons, and commit to having no future role in the governance of Gaza.
“We must also see significant progress on the ground including the supply of humanitarian support and for Israel to rule out annexations in the West Bank, and a commitment to a long-term sustainable peace. We will make an assessment ahead of UNGA on how far both Israel and Hamas have met the steps we set out. No one side will have a veto on recognition through their actions or inactions."
