Sadiq Khan calls on Keir Starmer to recognise Palestine 'immediately'

Sir Sadiq Khan has called on Keir Starmer to recognise Palestinian statehood “immediately”.

The Mayor of London’s intervention piles pressure on the Prime Minister amid reports that a number of senior Cabinet ministers have also urged him to do so. Sir Sadiq said the UK "must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing".

It comes as aid groups warned of starvation in the Gaza Strip. More than 100 organisations including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children put their names to an open letter which said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, "waste away".

In a statement posted on X, Labour mayor Sir Sadiq pointed to "starving children searching hopelessly for food in the rubble" and "family members being shot dead by Israeli soldiers as they search for aid".

READ MORE: New Israel sanction warning after child killings in Gaza as UK accused of 'cowardice'

"The international community - including our own Government - must do far more to pressure the Israeli government to stop this horrific senseless killing and let vital life saving aid in," he said. "The UK must immediately recognise Palestinian statehood. There can be no two state solution if there is no viable state left to call Palestine."

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell branded the situation in Gaza "a stain on the conscience of the international community".

He said: "With each passing day in Gaza, the violence, starvation and dehumanisation being inflicted on the civilian population by the government of Israel becomes more depraved and unconscionable.”

Mr Starmer is facing pressure from Cabinet ministers to recognise Palestine, including Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn, according to reports.

Appearing in the Commons on Tuesday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting called for recognition “while there’s still a state of Palestine left to recognise”.

Earlier this month nearly 60 Labour MPs demanded the UK immediately recognises Palestine as a state in a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The UK plans to formally recognise Palestine but has said it will do so “at the point of maximum impact”.

Mr Lammy has hinted that Israel could face further sanctions from the UK if it does not agree to a ceasefire. Asked on Tuesday what more he planned to do if Israel did not agree to end the conflict, he told ITV's Good Morning Britain : "Well, we've announced a raft of sanctions over the last few months.

"There will be more, clearly, and we keep all of those options under consideration if we do not see a change in behaviour and the suffering that we are seeing come to an end."

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