No.10 won't be drawn on Palestine under Hamas

DOWNING Street declined to say whether Britain would recognise Palestine with Hamas still in power after the militant group reportedly described statehood as “one of the fruits of October 7”.

- NINA LLOYD

Number 10 also refused to be drawn on whether the release of all Israeli hostages was a condition for recognition, but insisted they must be freed “unconditionally and immediately”.

Concerns have been raised over the UK’s plans to recognise a Palestinian state after Hamas member Ghazi Hamad appeared to claim the “fruits” of October 7 had caused the world to “open its eyes to the Palestinian issue”.

Asked yesterday whether formalising the move without a ceasefire could embolden Hamas to hold onto Israeli captives, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said the government would assess the situation in September.

“The Prime Minister has been absolutely clear that, on October 7, Hamas perpetrated the worst massacre in Israel's history,” he said.

“Every day since then that horror has continued... as the Foreign Secretary said over the weekend, Hamas are rightly pariahs who can have no role in Gaza’s future.”