London (REUTERS)

Britain said on Sunday it was recognising a Palestinian state after Israel failed to meet conditions including a ceasefire in the nearly two-year-old Gaza war.

"Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X.

London's step aligns it with more than 140 other nations.

The decision carries symbolic weight as Britain played a major role in Israel's creation as a modern nation in the aftermath of World War Two and has long been its ally.

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Canada and Australia also recognised a Palestinian state on Sunday and other countries are expected to do so this week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a move that put Starmer at odds with US President Donald Trump, Britain had issued Israel with an ultimatum in July saying it would recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel took steps to end the "appalling situation" in Gaza.

Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission in London, called the decision a "long-overdue recognition" that "is not about Palestine, but about Britain's fulfilment of a solemn responsibility".

"It marks an irreversible step towards justice, peace, and the correction of historic wrongs," he added in a statement.

Starmer had said in July that Britain would recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel reached a ceasefire with Hamas, let more aid into Gaza, made clear there would be no annexation of the West Bank, and committed to a peace process delivering a two-state solution.

"Since that announcement in July, in fact, with the attack on Qatar, a ceasefire at this point lays in tatters, and the prospects are bleak," Lammy said, noting Israel had also moved forward with a settlement plan.

Starmer has been under pressure from many of his own lawmakers, angry at the rising death toll in Gaza and images of starving children.

BRITAIN'S HISTORIC INVOLVEMENT

Britain has a historic responsibility to facilitate a two-state solution, dating back to the 1917 Balfour Declaration.

The decision may mean the Palestinian Mission in London is upgraded to embassy status. It could also result in banning products that come from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.