Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosted Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in London on Monday, signing a memorandum of understanding pledging to advance Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution.
The MoU reaffirms the United Kingdom’s recognition of the Palestinian Authority as the sole legitimate governing entity in the “Occupied Palestinian Territories” and stresses the need to reunify Gaza and Judea and Samaria under P.A. control, explicitly ruling out any role for Hamas.
The U.K. also announced a £101 million ($135 million) aid package to support humanitarian relief, economic development and governance reforms.
“This visit marks a significant step in strengthening our relationship with the Palestinian Authority—a key partner for peace,” said Lammy, adding that the U.K. remains committed to recognizing a Palestinian state “at a time that will have the greatest impact.”
The U.K. designated Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organization in November 2021, making it illegal to support the group under British law.
The memorandum of understanding comes as international leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have urged reforms within the P.A. to strengthen its credibility, disarm terrorist factions such as Hamas, and lay the groundwork for eventual statehood.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to oppose Palestinian statehood, warning it would endanger Israeli security and reward terrorism.
The London meeting marked the first official visit of a P.A. prime minister to the United Kingdom since 2021.
