Gaza latest: Two countries boycotting French-led two-state solution summit after UK recognises Palestine

With suggestions Israel could press on with annexation of the West Bank after countries such as the UK recognised a Palestinian state, could the move actually make things worse?

"Things are already getting worse in the West Bank," Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East, told our presenter Matt Barbet.

"And I would say to the Israeli government, they should think very carefully indeed before they take any further steps in the West Bank."

But they're "not listening to the UK government", Barbet said in response, with the US being the only body with real influence.

So, did Sir Keir Starmer raise this with Donald Trump during his state visit here?

"The prime minister did have discussions with President Trump in private about this, and you saw some of that discussion about that afterwards in the press conference," Falconer said.

Watch their exchange in the video below...

By Nicole Johnston, news correspondent, in Australia

Australia has followed in the footsteps of the UK and recognised a Palestinian state.

It's been a hot political issue here. While the Australian Labor government has been preparing the public for this announcement for some time, the Liberal-National opposition is strongly opposed to it and says if it returns to power, it will reverse the decision.

Regardless, Australia has joined more than 150 countries to formally confer recognition. 

It does come with conditions. The Australian government wants Palestinian elections to be held and the Palestinian Authority reformed. It also insists Hamas cannot have a role in a future Palestinian state.

Last month, there were nationwide protests against the war in Gaza. Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators braved pouring rain in Sydney to walk across the city's iconic bridge.

The numbers were so huge (with reports of more than 200,000 people) that police had to eventually cancel the march for public safety. But the point had been made.

Speaking in New York after announcing recognition, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "You can't watch what is unfolding there and not have a response."   

There has been a huge upsurge in support for Palestinian rights in this country and increasing frustration at what is seen by many Australians as Israeli impunity in its conduct during the war.

The federal government has been gradually shifting its position on the recognition of Palestine. It has clearly been part of an international coordinated effort to put diplomatic pressure on the Israeli government.

After Australia announced last month it planned to recognise a state in the Occupied Territories, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Albanese of "weakness", said that his legacy was "forever tarnished" and that he had "betrayed Israel and abandoned the Jewish community in Australia".

Australia insists its foreign policy will not be dictated by Israel or the US.

Dozens of world leaders are convening today in support of a two-state solution, at the behest of France and Saudi Arabia.

Several are expected to formally recognise a Palestinian state, a move that could draw a harsh reaction from Israel and the US.

Both have said they will boycott the summit - which comes as the UN General Assembly gets under way in New York, where there will be a renewed push for a peace plan.

Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon described the French-Saudi summit as a "circus".

"We don't think it's helpful, we think it's actually rewarding terrorism," he said.

As Israel intensifies its offensive in Gaza, there is a growing sense of urgency among nations to act now before the idea of a two-state solution collapses. 

The General Assembly endorsed a declaration this month outlining "tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps" towards a two-state solution. 

It also condemned Hamas and called on it to surrender and disarm.

Plan for the day after

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said last week that the declaration is "a roadmap that begins with the top priorities: a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza".

"Once the ceasefire and release of hostages are achieved, the next step is a plan for the day after, which will be on the agenda for Monday's discussions," he added.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is not there, despite co-hosting the event.

The General Assembly agreed he could appear via video at today's meeting.

With more countries recognising Palestinian statehood, concerns are growing around Israel's response - particularly regarding the West Bank.

The UK's foreign secretary has already warned Israel not to expand settlements there (see the post just below this one).

But it is believed Israel is considering annexation in the occupied West Bank as a possible response to the widespread recognition.

Just last month, Israeli far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich unveiled plans for the controversial E1 settlement, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem.

E1 has been eyed for Israeli development for more than two decades, but plans were halted due to pressure from the US during previous administrations.

Settlements are illegal under international law and have been condemned by the UN. They are, however, authorised by the Israeli government.

For context: Violence in the West Bank - which was already on the rise before the war in Gaza - has escalated with frequent army raids on militant groups, rampages by Jewish settlers in Palestinian villages, and deadly Palestinian street attacks. 

Hamas is not in charge in the West Bank and no hostages are being held there. 

There are regular clashes and riots in the West Bank - often aggravated by Israeli settlers both threatening and inflicting violence on Palestinians if they do not give up their land - which has been condemned by even the strongest international supporters of Israel, like the US. 

Israel conducts regular raids in the West Bank to arrest or demolish homes of people it deems terrorists. 

As we reported earlier this morning, the UK will use the UN General Assembly this week to push for a peace plan (see 7.04).

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will seek to strengthen the "international consensus on our pathway for peace in the Middle East".

Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the UK's recognition of a Palestinian state damages peace hopes but Cooper warned Israel not to respond by expanding settlements in the West Bank.

"We have been clear, and I have been clear to the Israeli foreign minister, we have been clear to the Israeli government, that they must not do that," she told the BBC.

"We have been clear that this decision that we are taking is about the best way to respect the security for Israel as well as the security for Palestinians.

"It's about protecting peace and justice and crucially security for the Middle East and we will continue to work with everyone across the region in order to be able to do that."

Does the UK really have any sway over anything the Israeli government does?

Our presenter Matt Barbet put this to the minister for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer.

"We have not acted alone," he responds.

But Israel has still "changed nothing", Barbet says, and he also pushed Falconer on whether the UK had done enough to recognise the suffering of Israeli hostages.

The minister responded by saying there was "no agony greater than the terrible hellish rollercoaster" the families of the hostages have been on.

He also defended the UK still providing some military equipment to Israel, saying it gave "no bombs, no bullets" that can be used in Gaza.

Instead, it does give components for Israel's Iron Dome air defence system to protect civilians, and body armour for members of NGOs, he said. 

Barbet also asked if things could get worse in the West Bank as a result of Palestinian recognition, with more extreme members of Israel's government pushing for a full occupation of the territory.

Falconer said things are already getting worse in the West Bank. 

Israel's government should "think very carefully" before acting further there, he added.

Questioned on whether Israel would only listen to Donald Trump and the US, the minister added that Keir Starmer had spoken about Gaza with the American president on his state visit to the UK last week.

Watch the clip below to see Falconer explain why the government will "continue" its demands on Israel regardless...

While diplomacy takes centre stage, a ceasefire in Gaza doesn't look any closer.

In a statement to our US partner network NBC News last night, a spokesman for the Hamas-run health ministry said 70 were killed yesterday in Israeli strikes.

Dr Khalil al-Daqran said 55 of those were in Gaza City, where Israel is concentrating its attacks in a bid to seize the city it says is a Hamas stronghold.

"Our crews are unable to rescue the martyrs and wounded from under the rubble," he added.

In a statement released today, Qatar has welcomed the recognition of a Palestinian state by four major Western nations.

Yesterday, the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal all made their announcements.

Qatar, a key mediator in the conflict, said the move supports efforts to achieve a lasting peace in the region.

Earlier this month, Israel targeted Hamas leadership in Doha with a strike - an attack that sparked fury in Qatar and condemnation elsewhere.

A peace plan is high on the agenda for the UK this week, as the UN General Assembly kicks off.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to use the summit to address civilian suffering in war-torn Gaza and aim to strengthen "the international consensus on our pathway for peace in the Middle East".

She will hold bilateral meetings to advance elements of the peace plan, including security measures to ensure Hamas has no role in the future governance of Gaza, according to the Foreign Office.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who won't be at the summit, said yesterday the UK recognises Palestine as an independent state to "revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution".

Five people have been killed in an Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon, according to the country's health ministry.

Three children were among them, the ministry said, while Lebanon's state news agency said the strike hit a motorbike and a vehicle, wounding two others.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said a father and his three children were among the dead, with the mother wounded in the town of Bint Jbeil.

He added they held US citizenship.

However, a US State Department spokesperson said: "While the situation is fluid, so far, indications are that the five killed were not US citizens.

"In fact, one had an unused immigrant visa petition in the past."

Israel said it killed a Hezbollah member in the strike but "several uninvolved civilians were killed".

"The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimise harm as much as possible," it said, adding the incident is "under review". 

Israel has frequently targeted what it calls Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

That's despite a US-brokered truce between Lebanon and Israel, which took effect last November after more than a year of conflict sparked by war in Gaza.

Lebanon is under pressure from the US, Saudi Arabia and Hezbollah's domestic rivals to disarm the Iranian-backed militant group.

Hezbollah has said it would be a serious misstep even to discuss disarmament.