UK, Canada, France statements on recognising a Palestinian state 2025

Note: This summary has been updated to reflect the government's announcement in September 2025. The briefing paper and remainder of the summary is unchanged from when first published in August 2025.

UK Government announcement, September 2025

On 21 September 2025, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the UK formally recognised the state of Palestine. He reiterated that Hamas could play no future role in Gaza. For the government’s statements, see:

• Prime Minister’s Office, PM statement on the recognition of Palestine, 21 September 2025.
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK formally recognises Palestinian State, 21 September 2025
• Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's letter to President Abbas, 21 September 2025

Mr Starmer told the Commons in October that recognition had helped support the New York Declaration in July (endorsed by the UN General Assembly in September) and the condemnation by the Arab League (a collection of Arab states) of Hamas’ assault of 7 October 2023 and their call for it to disarm. Section 2.3 of the Library’s Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2023-25: UN, ICC and ICJ statements and actions, has more on the UN General Assembly vote and international response.

In an address to the UN General Assembly in September 2025, the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said “two states is the only path to security and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike” and argued UK recognition “has helped cement the rejection of Hamas across the Arab world”.

In the UK Parliament, the Liberal Democrats welcomed the recognition. The Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, said recognition was “rewarding terrorism” and had delayed negotiations on a hostage-ceasefire agreement.

Government statements on a Palestinian state

The government has not announced a change in its position that the final determination of the borders of the two states and the status of Jerusalem are matters for Palestinians and Israelis. It says it has recognised Palestinian statehood “over provisional borders”, based on 1967 lines, “with equal land swaps”. It has also said that UK recognition of the state of Palestine does not alter the status of Palestinian refugees, which remain an issue for negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians. It also considers that the level of control Israel retains over the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza) “amounts to occupation under international law”.

Actions of other states and international reaction

Canada, France, and Australia also confirmed their recognition in September 2025. Andorra, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Portugal, and San Marino also did so. Belgium said it would recognise a Palestinian state once Hamas has released all the hostages it holds and Hamas no longer has any involvement in Palestinian government.

The Israeli Government rejected the announcements recognising a Palestinian state, arguing they “further destabilize the region and undermine the chances of achieving a peaceful solution in the future”. Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated his position that there “will be no Palestinian state”. US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, described the announcements as “largely irrelevant” as the “only time there’ll ever be [a Palestinian state] is if there is a negotiation with Israel”. In September President Trump told the UN General Assembly that he judged recognition as “encourag[ing] continued conflict”.

Summary and briefing overview: 28 August 2025

In July 2025, the French, Canadian, and UK governments announced plans to recognise a Palestinian state at the next UN General Assembly meeting in September, as a means of furthering the Israeli–Palestinian peace process. Around 147 states already recognise a Palestinian state. France, Canada, and the UK would be the first G7 states to do so (the other G7 members being Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States).

This research briefing provides information on the announcements and their conditions, international and UK Parliament reaction, and the debate on the significance of recognition for achieving a two-state solution to the conflict.

What have the UK, France and Canada said?

The UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state is conditional on whether the government judges that, by September 2025, Israel has not:

• made sufficient progress towards addressing the humanitarian situation in Gaza
• made sufficient progress towards reaching an agreement to secure the release of hostages and a ceasefire with Hamas
• committed to “a long-term sustainable peace” and two-state solution

The UK Government also reiterated that it expects Hamas, a proscribed terrorist group, to disarm, release all the hostages it holds, and to no longer govern Gaza.

The Shadow Foreign Secretary, Dame Priti Patel, criticised the decision, saying recognition should be part of a peace process and not take place while hostages remain in Gaza. The Liberal Democrats said recognition should be unconditional, and also called for the UK to end all arms exports to Israel.

In his announcement, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, said that the Palestinian state should be demilitarised and accept Israel.

The Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, said recognition is predicated on the Palestinian Authority (which governs in the occupied West Bank) holding elections in 2026 and “fundamental reform”.

What were the Israeli, Palestinian and US reactions?

The Israeli Government says that recognition “rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism”, that there is “no [Palestinian] partner for peace” and recognition would not help secure the release of the 50 hostages held in Gaza.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said in the past that his conditions for a settlement include a demilitarised Palestinian state and the recognition of Israel as the state of the “Jewish people”. Israel also opposes a role for the Palestinian Authority in post-conflict Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority and Hamas welcomed proposed recognition. The Palestinian Authority says it wants to govern Gaza without Hamas and has called for the group to disarm. The Authority’s President, Mahmoud Abbas, says there is “no intention to be a militarized [Palestinian] state” and is committed to reform.

The US criticised the announcements on recognition and subsequently announced visa restrictions on Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization members for “undermining prospects for peace”.

What was the backdrop to the statements?

The UK and French decisions were part of an international conference on the two-state solution, hosted by Saudi Arabia and France.

At the conference, the Arab League, European Union, UK and other states:

• committed to work to end the 2023-25 Israel-Hamas conflict
• committed to support the Palestinian Authority implement security and other reforms so it can govern across the Occupied Palestinian Territories
• condemned the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023 and called on it to disarm

Saudi Arabia restated that it would only recognise Israel if a two-state solution is achieved.

15 countries, including nine that had not recognised a Palestinian state, including New Zealand, also signed a statement “express[ing] the willingness or the positive consideration of our countries to recognize the State of Palestine”. Canada and Australia also did so, later announcing their recognition plans.

The announcements follow increasing criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza in 2025, including the level of aid by some EU members, the UK and some other governments. In May, the UK announced a pause on free trade talks with Israel and a review of the wider Israel–UK roadmap. Germany, the second largest source of Israeli arms imports, also said it would stop arms exports that could be used in Gaza.

All G7 states have said Hamas should no longer play a role in Gaza.

For information on the 2023-25 conflict, including the situation in Gaza and the UK and international response to the conflict, see the Commons Library’s Middle East instability in 2023-25 collection.