AdrianBryan Britain’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, announced yesterday that his country would recognize the state of Palestine in September if Israel did not agree to a cease-fire with Hamas and halt a war that has brought starvation to Gaza. Starmer’s announcement followed a similar one by France last week. In addition to a cease-fire, Starmer said the Israeli government would have to agree not to annex the occupied West Bank and commit to a peace process that would result in a Palestinian state. Israel is highly unlikely to accept these demands. Starmer’s government has faced political pressure as the British public has recoiled from images of starving children in Gaza. “The situation is simply intolerable,” he said. - The New York Times
