Freed hostage berates Starmer over state plan

A BRITISH-ISRAELI woman who was held hostage in Gaza by Hamas for more than a year has said Sir Keir Starmer is “not standing on the right side of history” after his pledge to recognise a Palestinian state.

- CAITLIN DOHERTY

Emily Damari has accused the Prime Minister of “moral failure” over the move.

Sir Keir announced on Tuesday that the UK could take the step of recognising statehood in September, ahead of a major United Nations gathering.

The UK will refrain from doing so only if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two months. The move has been criticised by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed it “rewards Hamas's monstrous terrorism”.