Letter calls for that London act now to halt ‘erasure and annexation’ of Palestinian land earlier than it’s too late.
Practically 60 lawmakers in the UK have written to Overseas Secretary David Lammy this week, calling out Israel’s plans for the “ethnic cleaning” of Gaza and demanding the nation instantly recognise Palestine as a state.
The 59 lawmakers, all from the governing Labour Occasion, criticised Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz’s plans to power Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians right into a so-called “humanitarian metropolis” – likened by some analysts to a focus camp – constructed on the ruins of Rafah.
The letter, despatched to Lammy on Thursday and made public on Saturday, cited Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard as saying Palestinians have been being pushed to the southern tip of Gaza “in preparation for deportation outdoors the strip”, slamming the transfer as “ethnic cleaning”.
They urged the international secretary to cease Israel’s “operational plan for crimes towards humanity”. It additionally referred to as on London to observe the lead of French President Emmanuel Macron, who lately introduced an intent to recognise a Palestinian state, in order to not undermine its personal coverage in help of a two-state answer.
Dozens of Labour MPs have signed letter calling on @FCDOGovUK Secretary David Lammy to take concrete motion on #Gaza together with fast recognition of #Palestine
Right here it’s in full, although extra MPs signing up by the minute
Thanks @LFPME for coordinating, authorities should heed pic.twitter.com/fOxiylKKVi
— Rupa Huq MP (@RupaHuq) July 12, 2025
Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego stated Macron had given calls to formally recognise Palestine as a state “additional heft” throughout his three-day state go to to the UK this week.
In an handle on Tuesday to the UK’s Parliament, he had stated the transfer was a matter of “absolute urgency” and the “solely path to peace”, calling on the nation to assist create the “political momentum” for a two-state answer.
Gallego identified that Lammy had on Tuesday criticised the controversial US-backed GHF websites at Parliament’s Overseas Affairs Committee.
“It’s not doing a great job. Too many individuals are near hunger. Too many individuals have misplaced their lives,” Lammy had stated.
Three out of the enclave’s 4 GHF websites, which have sidelined Gaza’s huge UN-led help supply community, are positioned in southern Gaza, successfully forcing ravenous Palestinians in direction of Israel’s new “humanitarian metropolis” in Rafah.
On Friday, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres stated that 819 Palestinians have been killed whereas ready for meals – 634 within the neighborhood of GHF websites, which have been operational since late Could. On Saturday, 34 extra have been killed close to a GHF website in Rafah.
Lammy had additionally stated that the UK might take additional motion towards Israel if a ceasefire deal to finish the conflict within the Palestinian territory doesn’t materialise. However he confused that London desires to recognise Palestine as a part of a concrete transfer in direction of the two-state answer, not simply as a symbolic gesture.
The lawmakers welcomed the Labour authorities’s requires a ceasefire, its suspension of arms licenses to Israel, and its sanctioning of hardline Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, however stated the “desperation and seriousness” of the state of affairs in Gaza required extra motion.
“We can not depart actions in our again pocket whereas the state of affairs going through Palestinian civilians reaches vital and existential ranges,” stated the letter, which was organised by Labour Mates of Palestine and the Center East, co-chaired by lawmakers Sarah Owen and Andrew Pakes.
“By not recognising [Palestine] as a state, we … set an expectation that the established order can proceed and see the efficient erasure and annexation of Palestinian territory,” it added.
The Occasions of Israel reported this week that a global convention aiming to resuscitate the two-state answer was postponed to July 28-29 after plans to carry it final month have been derailed by the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict.
