Burak Bir
May 22, 2024•Update: May 22, 2024
LONDON
The British chancellor of the exchequer Wednesday said that it is not the right time for the UK to recognize Palestine as a state, but added that they will continue to keep it under review.
"Well, we have a long-standing position on this that we will be prepared to recognize the state of Palestine at the time that it most helps the peace process," Jeremy Hunt told Sky News.
His remarks came in response to a question whether the UK will follow the decision by Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognize Palestine as a state.
"Our position is that this is not the right time to do it at the moment," Hunt said.
The official recognition by Ireland, Norway, and Spain of an independent Palestinian state will take effect on May 28, their leaders announced Wednesday.
The recognition came as Israel continued its offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
More than 35,600 Palestinians have been killed, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and nearly 79,900 others injured since last October following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.
More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered it to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
