Palestinian Ambassador Zomlot describes the occasion as a bold declaration of truth and a steadfast rejection of genocide as the final outcome.
In a historic milestone, the Palestinian flag was hoisted outside the newly designated Palestinian embassy in London, symbolizing the United Kingdom’s formal and long-anticipated recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state. This development comes amid Israel’s ongoing devastation of Gaza and intensified military operations in the occupied West Bank.
The flag-raising event on Monday was preceded by remarks from Husam Zomlot, Palestine’s Ambassador to the UK, delivered at the site formerly known as the Palestine Mission.
“Let us raise the Palestinian flag together, whose colors embody our identity: black for our grief, white for our aspirations, green for our homeland, and red for the sacrifices endured by our people,” Zomlot expressed.
He emphasized that the UK’s recognition represents an effort to “correct historical injustices and to jointly commit to a future grounded in liberty, dignity, and essential human rights.”
Zomlot urged the public to acknowledge that this recognition arrives amid “unimaginable agony and suffering, as a genocide unfolds against us-a genocide that remains unacknowledged and continues unchecked.”
He elaborated: “Our people in Gaza face starvation, relentless bombardment, and the collapse of their homes; meanwhile, in the West Bank, they endure ethnic cleansing, daily state-sponsored violence, land confiscation, and oppressive restrictions.”
Highlighting the ongoing denial of Palestinian humanity, Zomlot stated, “Our existence is still questioned, our lives treated as expendable, and our fundamental freedoms persistently violated.”
He concluded with a powerful declaration: “This moment is a resolute act of truth, a refusal to let genocide define our fate; a rejection of permanent occupation; a determination not to be erased or dehumanized.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the UK’s decision to officially recognize Palestine, marking a significant shift more than a century after the Balfour Declaration endorsed the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine, and 77 years following Israel’s founding within the British Mandate territory.
“Amid escalating horrors in the Middle East, we are taking steps to preserve the hope for peace and a two-state solution,” Starmer stated in a video message on Sunday.
Earlier in July, the UK government indicated it would alter its traditional stance of postponing recognition until an optimal moment-contingent on Israel halting its genocidal campaign in Gaza, committing to a durable peace process that ensures a two-state outcome, and permitting increased humanitarian aid access.
However, conditions in Gaza have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks, as Israeli forces continue their systematic destruction of Gaza City, aiming to seize control, while exacerbating the starvation and displacement of the enclave’s famine-stricken population.
Simultaneously, Israeli military raids and settler violence persist throughout the occupied West Bank, with plans underway to annex Palestinian lands.
In a related development, Canada, Australia, and Portugal formally recognized Palestinian statehood just days before the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where Palestinian sovereignty after decades of occupation and apartheid will be a central issue.
France and Saudi Arabia are organizing a one-day summit at the UN, scheduled a day prior to the UNGA, focusing heavily on Israel’s conflict in Gaza and the elusive two-state solution.
At the UN headquarters in New York, global leaders will gather on Monday to reinvigorate the long-stalled vision of a Palestinian state, amid urgent warnings that Israel’s dominant actions in Gaza and the West Bank risk erasing the possibility of a contiguous Palestinian homeland entirely.
