UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting criticism over his proposed plan to recognise a Palestinian state, with critics warning that the move remains symbolic and conditional.
The Labour leader said he would move towards recognition of Palestine unless certain conditions, including the release of remaining Israeli hostages, are met by September.
However, critics from his own party have criticised his "vague" timeline and lack of clarity on borders or governance.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on LBC: "Recognition should not be a bargaining chip. It’s an inalienable right of the Palestinian people."
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This is about the Palestinian people. It’s about getting aid in to those starving children."
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), which described Starmer’s statement as "long overdue", also warned that it fell short of meaningful action.
"The rights of the Palestinian people, both in Gaza and the West Bank, are not a bargaining chip,” said Dr Naomi Green, Assistant Secretary General of the MCB. "The Prime Minister’s 500-word statement today remains symbolic only, making no mention of a trade embargo or ceasing military support to Israel."
The criticism comes amid revelations that Israeli army officers have been studying at one of Britain’s top military academies throughout Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has left tens of thousands dead.
Declassified UK revealed that at least two Israeli colonels have attended the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) in central London since 2023.
One of the officers, Elad Edri, reportedly graduated just weeks ago. Another, Yeftah Norkin, allegedly completed the course in July 2024 and now leads the "Bang" division in Israel's assault on southern Lebanon.
Norkin previously served in Israel’s 2008–2009 Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, including hundreds of children.
Despite repeated Freedom of Information requests, UK defence officials had refused to disclose the names or number of Israeli officers studying in the country until last week, when the Ministry of Defence confirmed that "fewer than five" had trained at the RCDS in 2023 and 2024.
Images posted by the RCDS Commandant and social media posts by Labour MP Tan Dhesi, who chairs the UK Parliament’s Defence Committee, helped identify the officers.
The revelations have sparked renewed questions about the UK’s military links with Israel during a time of mounting civilian deaths in Gaza and the West Bank.
Campaigners argue that recognition of Palestinian statehood must come with concrete steps, including an immediate arms embargo and an end to British military cooperation with Israel.