British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has warned Israel not to annex parts of the occupied West Bank in response to the UK's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood, a move announced on Sunday by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer alongside Canada, Australia, and Portugal.
Speaking to the BBC ahead of a UN conference in New York, where France and other European nations are expected to make similar declarations, Cooper said she had made clear to her Israeli counterpart that any annexation would be unacceptable.
“This decision is about ensuring security for both Israel and Palestinians,” she said. “It’s about protecting peace, justice, and stability across the Middle East.”
Cooper expressed concern that extremists on both sides were working to derail a two-state solution, a prospect she insisted the UK had a moral duty to preserve. “The easy option would be to walk away,” she noted. “But after such devastation and suffering, that would be wrong.”
She reiterated that recognising Palestine’s statehood aligns with recognising Israel and stressed that Hamas would have “no future, no role in government, no role in security” under the terms of recognition.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the move, calling it “a huge reward to terrorism.” The United States echoed his stance, suggesting the recognition benefits Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking 251 hostages.
Hamas welcomed the recognition but urged for concrete steps to end the conflict. Meanwhile, UK Conservatives accused Starmer of “rewarding Hamas.”
The announcement follows a UN commission’s recent accusation that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza—allegations Israel strongly rejects. Nearly 65,000 people have reportedly died in Israeli operations over the past two years, and famine has been declared in Gaza City.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the UK’s decision, while far-right Israeli officials renewed calls to annex the West Bank and dismantle the Palestinian Authority.
Source: BBC
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