Nearly 60 members of Parliament from the British Labour Party have signed a public letter calling on the UK government to immediately recognize the State of Palestine. The lawmakers also accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.
The letter, addressed to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, denounced Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s proposal to “relocate” Palestinian civilians to a so-called “humanitarian city” in Rafah.
The MPs described the plan as part of an operational blueprint for crimes against humanity, citing prominent Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard, who characterized it as mass deportation.
The signatories added: “While that term is accurate, a more precise description is the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.”
The MPs urged Lammy to take immediate diplomatic action to prevent what they warned could become the forcible displacement of Gaza’s population.
“We write to you with deep urgency and concern,” the letter stated, cautioning against the consequences of continued Israeli measures.
This parliamentary move coincided with a meeting between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, who also expressed grave concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Macron has publicly advocated for the recognition of Palestinian statehood as a step toward peace.
Labour MPs argued that the UK’s failure to recognize Palestine undermines its stated commitment to a two-state solution, perpetuates the Israeli occupation, and encourages the de facto annexation of Palestinian territories.
In response, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office reiterated the government’s position: “Britain remains committed to recognizing the State of Palestine and will do so when it can make a meaningful contribution to advancing the peace process.”
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed at least 58,386 Palestinians, including more than 17,131 children, 10,190 women, 4,147 elders, and 257 journalists. The number of wounded has reached 139,077, mostly children and women. Additionally, over 9,000 Palestinians remain missing, believed to be trapped under rubble across various areas of the devastated Gaza Strip.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have killed 1,013 Palestinians, including 204 children, 22 women, 17 elders, 1 journalist, and 27 individuals who were killed by illegal paramilitary colonizers. Among the total, 290 Palestinians were subjected to extra-judicial executions.
