U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday openly disagreed with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the UK’s plan to recognise a Palestinian state, marking one of the few points of tension during his state visit.
Speaking at a joint press conference at Chequers, the prime minister’s country residence, Trump said:
“I have a disagreement with the prime minister on that score—one of our few disagreements.”
Starmer had announced in July that Britain would move to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel agreed to specific conditions, including a ceasefire in Gaza.
Reports from UK media on Thursday suggested the decision could be finalised as early as this weekend, ahead of the summit.
While France, Canada, and other Western allies prepare to back Palestinian statehood at the UN, Washington has firmly rejected unilateral recognition, maintaining its long-standing support for Israel.
Despite their differences, both leaders struck a largely united front on the Gaza conflict. Starmer described the situation as “intolerable” and urged that humanitarian aid be delivered “at speed,” while reaffirming that Palestinian statehood must be tied to a broader peace plan excluding Hamas from governance.
Trump, meanwhile, called the war “complex” and emphasised his desire to see hostages freed. “I want an end. I want the hostages released,” he said, though he sidestepped questions about whether he would press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt airstrikes in Gaza.
The conflict remains devastating: of the 251 people taken hostage during Hamas’s October 2023 attack, 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 whom the Israeli military says are dead. The assault killed 1,219 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to official figures.
Israel’s military response has since claimed at least 65,141 lives in Gaza, also largely civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry figures regarded as credible by the United Nations.
About the Author
