Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce the UK's recognition of a Palestinian state in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
The move comes after the prime minister said in July the UK would shift its position in September unless Israel met conditions including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and committing to a long-term sustainable peace deal that delivers a two-state solution.
It represents a major change in British foreign policy after successive governments said recognition should come as part of a peace process and at a time of maximum impact.
The move has drawn fierce criticism from the Israeli government, hostage families and some Conservatives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said such a move rewards terror. However, UK ministers argue there was a moral responsibility to act to keep the hope of a long-term peace deal alive.
Government sources said the situation on the ground had worsened significantly in the last few weeks. They cited images showing starvation and violence in Gaza, which the prime minister has previously described as intolerable.
Israel's latest ground operation in Gaza City, described by a UN official as cataclysmic, has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee. Earlier this week, a United Nations commission of inquiry concluded Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel denounced as distorted and false.
Ministers also highlighted the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law, as a key factor in the decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. Justice Secretary David Lammy cited the controversial E1 settlement project as a significant obstacle to a viable Palestinian state.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the UK's recognition pledge during a recent meeting with Starmer.
However, Critics questioned why the government had appeared to put conditions on Israel but not on Hamas, when it set out its path to recognition. The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, called on the government to pause its decision, stressing that recognition should not proceed without a commitment to a peaceful future.
The Israeli military launched its Gaza campaign in response to an unprecedented Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, further complicating the diplomatic landscape.
As recognition becomes imminent, UK ministers are set to outline next steps for sanctioning Hamas in the coming weeks, maintaining that statehood is a right of the Palestinian people and must be pursued despite the ongoing conflict.
The move comes after the prime minister said in July the UK would shift its position in September unless Israel met conditions including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and committing to a long-term sustainable peace deal that delivers a two-state solution.
It represents a major change in British foreign policy after successive governments said recognition should come as part of a peace process and at a time of maximum impact.
The move has drawn fierce criticism from the Israeli government, hostage families and some Conservatives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said such a move rewards terror. However, UK ministers argue there was a moral responsibility to act to keep the hope of a long-term peace deal alive.
Government sources said the situation on the ground had worsened significantly in the last few weeks. They cited images showing starvation and violence in Gaza, which the prime minister has previously described as intolerable.
Israel's latest ground operation in Gaza City, described by a UN official as cataclysmic, has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee. Earlier this week, a United Nations commission of inquiry concluded Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel denounced as distorted and false.
Ministers also highlighted the continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law, as a key factor in the decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. Justice Secretary David Lammy cited the controversial E1 settlement project as a significant obstacle to a viable Palestinian state.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the UK's recognition pledge during a recent meeting with Starmer.
However, Critics questioned why the government had appeared to put conditions on Israel but not on Hamas, when it set out its path to recognition. The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, called on the government to pause its decision, stressing that recognition should not proceed without a commitment to a peaceful future.
The Israeli military launched its Gaza campaign in response to an unprecedented Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, further complicating the diplomatic landscape.
As recognition becomes imminent, UK ministers are set to outline next steps for sanctioning Hamas in the coming weeks, maintaining that statehood is a right of the Palestinian people and must be pursued despite the ongoing conflict.
