UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Downing Street. PA
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Downing Street. PA
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Downing Street. PA
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Downing Street. PA

UK vows to support two-state solution as Palestinian PM meets Starmer


  • English
  • Arabic

Britain has vowed to continue its support for the two-state solution as Downing Street hosted a Palestinian prime minister for the first time in four years on Monday.

Mohammad Mustafa had an hour-long meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, with the issue of Palestinian statehood high on the agenda.

There have been suggestions that the UK, possibly in conjunction with France, will at some point agree to recognise a Palestinian state as Israel continues its war on Gaza and restricts humanitarian aid into the enclave.

Mr Mustafa said he hoped to work with partners such as Britain “to overcome” the challenges Palestinians faced, after meeting Mr Starmer. “These are very difficult but I think it was a reminder that we need to deal with the root problem of all of this, which is the absence of the implementation of the two-state solution,” Mr Mustafa added.

Mr Starmer highlighted the “extremely challenging position, not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank” that was “deeply concerning to the whole world”. Securing a ceasefire and the entry of aid into Gaza “at speed and at volume” was key, before beginning to rebuild the enclave, he said.

“And also to make sure we never lose sight of the only really effective way that we will have peace, which is a two-state solution as part of the political process,” he added.

Before the meeting, Mr Lammy said he would “reaffirm the UK’s commitment to recognising a Palestinian state” as a contribution to the peace process, but “at a time that has the greatest impact”.

“We will not give up on the two-state solution, with a Palestinian state and Israel living side by side in peace, dignity and security,” he added.

Asked by The National if the leaders would discuss details of Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state, the UK Prime Minister’s spokesman said the talks would reflect “our desire to further strengthen our relationship”.

The UK is expected to co-lead a panel with Egypt at a conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, a source told The National.

Among Mr Mustafa’s chief priorities will be to urge the UK to recognise the state of Palestine as soon as possible. He could stress that the UK has a historical obligation towards recognition, and that Palestinian sovereignty is a necessity to ending Israel’s occupation and bringing about peace.

The meeting at Downing Street comes as the International Court of Justice begins a week of hearings on Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Support for PA

Britain will sign a “landmark” agreement that the government said would “enshrine” its commitment to advancing Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution.

The deal will also emphasise that the Palestinian Authority is the “only legitimate governing entity” in Palestine. It will underline the importance of reunifying Gaza and the occupied West Bank under the authority of the PA.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. AFP
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. AFP

From the Palestinian side, the agreement will see it deliver on its governance reform agenda “as a matter of priority”. In addition, Britain will provide a further £101 million ($133 million) humanitarian relief package that will help with the reforms, it was announced.

Part of that deal will be for Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza and allow the PA to take control, particularly of the reconstruction process.

The UK government will also want to hear Mr Mustafa outline the PA’s reform programme, with greater government transparency and an improvement to services to Palestinians.

Critical juncture

His visit, the first official trip by a Palestinian Prime Minister since 2021, comes at what the British government called a “critical juncture” for Palestinians.

“This visit marks a significant step in strengthening our relationship with the Palestinian Authority – a key partner for peace in the Middle East – at a critical moment,” Mr Lammy said.

While Israel is firmly opposed to a two-state solution, the UK’s decision to work more closely with the PA demonstrates it is committed to the plan for peace.

But an influential right-wing faction in the Israeli government is pushing for Gaza and the occupied West Bank to be annexed, rather than for any agreement to be reached with Palestinians.

In a statement after the meeting, Downing Street said the pair discussed the Arab Plan for Gaza, and “that Hamas must have no role in Gaza’s governance”.

The two leaders agreed that a “strategic political framework” was necessary for implementation of a two-state solution.

Mr Starmer said Britain would continue to work closely with the Palestinian Authority to find “lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike”.

Balancing act

The PA is seeking support from the international community to bring about a ceasefire and begin rebuilding Gaza. Israel’s western allies have said they will reject the presence of Hamas in any postwar government.

But the PA fear attempts to remove Hamas as a political force in the enclave would result in civil war. The PA's ruling party Fatah has been working towards an agreement with Hamas to end a decades-long feud that led to conflict in 2007.

The two parties agreed to form a joint committee to run the Gaza Strip after the war ends, at talks in Cairo in December last year.

The PA is working on reintegrating Gaza’s institutions, run by Hamas, with PA institutions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, before the conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia in June.

Political pressure is mounting on Hamas to agree to a ceasefire deal in Gaza, as Egypt, Qatar and the US mediate in talks. Palestinian officials are hopeful they are “approaching the end” of Hamas’s rule of Gaza, but have said they cannot prevent the group from playing a political role in the enclave in the long term.

Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees

Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme

Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks

Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets

Fixtures and results:

Wed, Aug 29:

  • Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
  • Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
  • UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs

Thu, Aug 30: 

  • UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
  • Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
  • Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets

Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal

Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore

Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu, Sep 6: Final

Profile

Company: Libra Project

Based: Masdar City, ADGM, London and Delaware

Launch year: 2017

Size: A team of 12 with six employed full-time

Sector: Renewable energy

Funding: $500,000 in Series A funding from family and friends in 2018. A Series B round looking to raise $1.5m is now live.

THE%20SWIMMERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESally%20El-Hosaini%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENathalie%20Issa%2C%20Manal%20Issa%2C%20Ahmed%20Malek%20and%20Ali%20Suliman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog

Name: Marie Byrne

Nationality: Irish

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption

Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston

Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

The bio

His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell

His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard

Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece

Favourite movie - The Last Emperor

Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great

Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos

 

 

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The%20specs%3A%20Taycan%20Turbo%20GT
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C108hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C340Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20automatic%20(front%20axle)%3B%20two-speed%20transmission%20(rear%20axle)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E488-560km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh928%2C400%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EOrders%20open%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Scoreline

Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')

Bournemouth 0

UAE squad

Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

Updated: April 28, 2025, 8:32 PM