Families of hostages being held in Gaza, together with a liberated prisoner, destroy great -Britain, France and other countries for the decision to recognize a Palestinian state, warning that these steps reward Hamas terrorists, while dozens of hostages remain trapped underground.
The recoil came after the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that his government will formally recognize a Palestinian state in September at the General Assembly of the United Nations, unless Israel agrees with a cease -the Fire, UN assistance and a two -state solution.
Emily Damari, a double British -Israeli citizen who survived Hamas’s imprisonment, Posted on X“As a double British-Israeli citizen who has survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, I am deeply saddened by your decision Keir Starmer to acknowledge the Palestinian state. This step does not promote a peace-the risk of rewarding terror. It sends a dangerous message: that violence deserves legitimacy.
Starmer says that UK the Palestinian state recognizes whether Israel does not agree to stop, Hamas must ‘disarm’ ” disarm ”
Emily Damari, on the right, and her mother Mandy are seen near Kibbutz Reim, Zuid -Resraël after Emily was released from Captivity by Hamas Terrorists in Gaza on Sunday 19 January. (AP/Israeli Army)
“By legitimizing a state entity while Hamas still checks Gaza and continues its terror campaign, you do not promote a solution; you extend the conflict. Recognition under these circumstances encourages extremists and undermine some hope of real peace. Shame you,” Damari wrote.
The High Involits and Missing Families Forum, which represents family members from people who were still held in Gaza, also closed the announcements.
“We recently saw an increase in initiatives that called for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state – while 50 hostages are held captive by Hamas for 663 days. Recognizing a Palestinian state while 50 hostages remain imprisoned in Hamas tunnels for rewarding terrorism.
Hamas terrorists are in formation while Palestinians gather on a street to view the transfer of three Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Deir El-Balah, Central Gaza, on February 8, 2025 (Majdi Fathi/Nurphoto via Getty Images)
“The kidnapping of men, women and children, who are held against their will in tunnels while they are subjected to starvation and physical and psychological abuse, cannot and should not serve as the basis for setting up a state. If the international community really requires peace, this must respond to us by demanding the release of all Gijlen.”
From Gaza to Greenland, Macron breaks with Trump on global flash points
Starmer announced his intentions on Tuesday. “I can confirm that the VK will recognize the State of Palestine in September by the General Assembly of the United Nations (UNGA), unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the terrible situation in Gaza, to agree to a cessed-the-fire and commitment for a long-term resistance.”
Family members and supporters of Israeli hostages held trapped in the Gaza Strip since the attack of 7 October in southern Israel, hold their portraits during a protest on hostages on 28 May 2025, to mark 600 days of their captivity and demand their release and end the war. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty images)
France announced a similar step last week. After those statements, ten more countries said they are planning to follow: Malta confirmed that it will, and Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Nieuw -Zeeland, Portugal and San Marino declared plans to go in that direction. Spain, Ireland, Norway and Belgium have also expressed support. The Netherlands, once considered one of the nearest allies of Israel, has hardened his attitude and threatens to remove Israel from an EU research program and to bring Israeli ministers out of access.
President Donald Trump spoke on board Air Force One after he had met Starmer in Scotland, did not support the plan. “In essence, they (the UK and France) say the same, and that’s ok. But you know it doesn’t mean I have to agree,” he said reporters.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) during a meeting about the situation in Ukraine and safety issues in Europe in the Elysée Palace on 17 February 2025 in Paris, France. (Tom Nicholson/Getty images)
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Veteran The American diplomat Dennis Ross also weighed on X, warning that recognition could be counterproductive without clear benchmarks, where “recognizing a Palestinian state without conditions will perpetuate the conflict, does not terminate. Which conditions that have been credible to exist to exist/non-mensel.”
