The Guardian view on UK recognition of a Palestinian state: this must be a call to action, not conscience-salving

‘Promoting a mirage of a Palestinian state without taking meaningful action to halt the annihilation would be cruel, cowardly and self-serving.’ Photograph: Anadolu/Getty

Death rains down on Gaza City. Starvation stalks the north of Gaza. Israel has now killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians.

The prospects of even a ceasefire look dim, never mind a long-term settlement. But formally announcing the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state on Sunday, Sir Keir Starmer remarked: “The hope of a two-state solution is fading but we cannot let that light go out.” Canada and Australia announced recognition too ahead of the United Nations summit in New York on Monday, in a wave spearheaded by France.