Amnesty International says the UK government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state will be “a hollow gesture” unless it is matched by concrete measures to end Israel’s onslaught in Gaza and decades-long occupation, Al Jazeera reports.
Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty’s crisis response manager, said recognition was “no doubt significant”, but warned that “words alone won’t stop the atrocities”.
He urged the UK to halt arms exports to Israel, sanction officials implicated in war crimes, end trade with settlements, push for Israel to lift the blockade on famine-stricken Gaza, and dismantle its “apartheid system”.
“Recognition must be tied to real accountability,” Benedict said, stressing that any political solution must be rooted in human rights and international justice.