Cooper warns Israel not to retaliate in response to Palestine recognition

Israel must not retaliate to the recognition of Palestine by the UK and its allies by expanding settlements in the West Bank, Yvette Cooper said.

The Foreign Secretary insisted the decision to recognise Palestine was aimed at increasing security by keeping the prospect of a two-state solution alive.

The UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal took the largely symbolic step of recognising Palestine on Sunday, with other nations including France set to make similar announcements at the United Nations on Monday.

In response to concerns Israel could respond by speeding up settlement of the West Bank, part of the occupied territory which would form a Palestinian state, Ms Cooper said: “We have been clear, and I have been clear to the Israeli foreign minister, we have been clear to the Israeli government, that they must not do that.”

She told the BBC: “We have been clear that this decision that we are taking is about the best way to respect the security for Israel as well as the security for Palestinians.

“It’s about protecting peace and justice and crucially security for the Middle East and we will continue to work with everyone across the region in order to be able to do that.”

The UK will use the UN General Assembly to push for international backing of a framework for peace in the Middle East, following its recognition of a Palestinian state.

Ms Cooper will seek to strengthen “the international consensus on our pathway for peace in the Middle East”.

She will hold meetings to advance elements of the plan, including transitional governance and security measures to ensure Hamas has no role in the future governance of Gaza, according to the Foreign Office.

The UK Government has acknowledged that recognising a Palestinian state would not ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza nor contribute to the freeing of the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 2023.

But the UK believes the move is necessary to safeguard the prospect of a lasting two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, with Israel existing alongside a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branded the UK move “absurd” and “simply a reward for terrorism”, while US President Donald Trump said it was “rewarding Hamas”.

Families of hostages held in Gaza called it a “betrayal of humanity and a move that rewards Hamas while 48 hostages remain in captivity”.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi reportedly hailed the move as a victory for “the justice of our cause”.

In an effort to counter that criticism, Sir Keir Starmer said Hamas was a “brutal terror organisation” and confirmed plans to ratchet up sanctions on the group.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy will represent the UK at the UN General Assembly, along with Ms Cooper and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey criticised Sir Keir’s absence at the summit.

He said: “The Prime Minister should not be missing in action from Britain’s historic recognition of Palestinian statehood just because he’s worried about upsetting Donald Trump.”