LONDON: Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas Monday in London, as the UK government edges toward recognizing a Palestinian state.
The leaders discussed “the need for an urgent solution to end the horrific suffering and famine” in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas, a spokesperson for Starmer’s Downing Street office said in a statement.
Abbas welcomed the UK’s “pledge to recognizing a Palestinian state ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting later this month, unless Israel changes its course,” the spokesperson added.
Several countries including Britain and France have announced they intend to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations later this month.
Starmer’s government said it will take the step if Israel fails to agree to a ceasefire in the devastating Gaza war, triggered by Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 2023 attack.
The British leader has indicated he will do that in the coming weeks unless the Israeli government takes “substantive” steps to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace.
His meeting with Abbas “is part of the prime minister’s ongoing efforts to reach a political solution to the ongoing conflict in Gaza,” Downing Street said ahead of the bilateral.
During their talks, both leaders “agreed there will be absolutely no role for Hamas in the future governance of Palestine” and reiterated the need for a “long-term solution” to the conflict.
Israeli president visiting
Abbas, 89, arrived in London on Sunday night for a three-day visit.
He was barred from attending the general assembly in New York by the US State Department last month.
During their meeting, Starmer “welcomed” Abbas’s “commitment to reform of the Palestinian Authority as a vital part of this work,” his office said.
The Palestinian Authority is a civilian body that governs in areas of the West Bank, where about three million Palestinians live — as well as around half a million Israelis occupying settlements considered illegal under international law.
Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will arrive in the UK on Tuesday for an official visit, his office announced Monday.
It is not clear whether Herzog will meet Starmer during his visit, which aims to “show solidarity with the Jewish community, which is under severe attack and facing a wave of antisemitism.”
The Israeli president is due to meet Jewish community organizations as well as “members of parliament, public representatives (and) influencers,” according to his office.
Ties between Britain and Israel are increasingly strained over the conflict in Gaza, with London suspending trade talks and some arms exports, as well as deciding not to invite Israeli officials to the UK’s biggest arms showcase which also opens on Tuesday.
UK PM meets Palestinian leader ahead of statehood recognition
https://arab.news/j36eq
UK PM meets Palestinian leader ahead of statehood recognition
- The leaders discussed “the need for an urgent solution to end the horrific suffering and famine” in Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas
- Abbas welcomed the UK’s “pledge to recognizing a Palestinian state ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting later this month
Kremlin says Putin is mediating in Iran to normalize situation
- Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran
MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin is mediating in the Iran situation to quickly de-escalate tensions, the Kremlin said on Friday, after the Russian leader spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Moscow has condemned US threats of new military strikes after Iran acted against protests that broke out late last month.
Putin in his call with Netanyahu expressed Russia’s willingness to “continue its mediation efforts and to promote constructive dialogue with the participation of all interested states,” the Kremlin said, adding he had set out his ideas for boosting stability in the Middle East.
No further details were given on Putin’s mediation attempt.
Putin had then been briefed by Pezeshkian in a separate call on what the Kremlin called Tehran’s “sustained efforts” to normalize the situation inside Iran.
“It was noted that Russia and Iran unanimously and consistently support de-escalating
the tensions — both surrounding Iran and in the region as a whole — as soon as possible
and resolving any emerging issues through exclusively political and diplomatic means,” the Kremlin said.
Putin and Pezeshkian had confirmed their commitment to their countries’ strategic partnership and to implementing joint economic projects, the Kremlin added.
Separately, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia, China, India, and Iran, among others, said it opposed external interference in Iran and blamed Western sanctions for creating conditions for unrest.
“Unilateral sanctions have had a significant negative impact on the economic stability of the state, led to a deterioration in people’s living conditions, and objectively limited the ability of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to implement measures to ensure the country’s socio-economic development,” the SCO said in a statement.
Protests erupted on Dec. 28 over soaring inflation in Iran, whose economy has been crippled by sanctions.
Asked what support Russia could provide to Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia is already providing assistance not only to Iran but also to the entire region, and to the cause of regional stability and peace. This is partly thanks to the president’s efforts to help de-escalate tensions.”
The US Treasury on Thursday announced new sanctions targeting Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security.
