'Not the time to recognise statehood': Kemi Badenoch tells LBC that Labour is wrong on recognising Palestine

On an LBC phone-in, Ms Badenoch told caller Scott in West Hampstead: "This is not the time to be recognising statehood. We've got a humanitarian crisis, there is a war on, statehood doesn't solve any problems."

The Tory leader's intervention came on the same day that Sir Keir Starmer issued an ultimatum to Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, following an emergency meeting of his Cabinet.

Sir Keir said that the UK could recognise Palestine as soon as the UN general assembly in September, unless Israel takes “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza”.

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Ms Badenoch added: "Also the conditions that the Prime Minister has put on are one-sided. So Israel needs to agree to a ceasefire, but Hamas doesn't need to return the hostage so why would they?"

Starmer discussed the plans with President Donald Trump on Monday in response to concerns that Gaza is on the brink of a “humanitarian catastrophe”, experiencing mass starvation.

More than 230 backbench MPs from all parties and almost a third of the cabinet have been pressing Starmer to act. He made the announcement after holding an emergency cabinet meeting today.

Sir Keir said the Israeli government must reach a ceasefire, make clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank, and commit to a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution.

Sir Keir reiterated that Britain's demands on Hamas remain and the terror group must release all remaining hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, accept they will play no role in the government of Gaza, and disarm.

Speaking in Downing Street following the Cabinet meeting, Sir Keir said the recent images from Gaza "will stay with us for a lifetime".

"We see starving babies, children too weak to stand... the suffering must end," the PM added.

Sir Keir said the UK has begun airdropping aid into the enclave, but stressed that he wants to see at least 500 aid trucks enter the territory every day.

Prior to the war, Gaza would receive between 500 and 600 trucks of aid per day.

A statement from Israel's Foreign Ministry said in response: "Israel rejects the statement by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

"The shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages."

Prime Minister Netanyahu tweeted later on Tuesday: "Starmer rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims.

"A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW. Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen."