Britain will formally recognize a Palestinian state on Sunday, according to UK media reports, in a landmark policy change vehemently opposed by longtime ally Israel. The small Palestinian territory has since suffered vast destruction, death and lack of food that have resulted in a major humanitarian crisis. Starmer said in July that Britain would formally recognize the State of Palestine if Israel did not take “substantive steps” towards a ceasefire with Hamas by the time the UN General Assembly convenes in September. The prospective announcement comes ahead of a UN General Assembly where around 10 other countries, including Britain’s G7 partner France, are also set to recognise a Palestinian state. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 65,208 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gazan health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.