Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says she has warned Israel not to annex parts of the West Bank in retaliation for the UK's recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Cooper was speaking to the BBC before attending a conference on Monday at the UN in New York where France and other European states are due to make a similar announcement.
In what was a significant change in policy, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the UK's recognition of a Palestinian state on Sunday, along with Canada, Australia, and Portugal.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the moves, saying they give a huge reward to terrorism.
Asked if she was concerned Israel would take this declaration as a pretext for annexing parts of the West Bank, Cooper said she had made it clear to her Israeli counterpart that he and his government must not do that.
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, Cooper stated.
Cooper highlighted a moral obligation for the UK to revitalize the two-state solution, asserting that both the rights of Israel and the Palestinians must be recognized.
Amid these developments, Cooper will work to build an international consensus for peace solutions at the UN's upcoming General Assembly meetings, particularly with France and Saudi Arabia co-chairing discussions on the path to a two-state solution.
This announcement, while celebrated by Palestinian leaders, is met with stark warnings of potential violence from the Israeli government, further complicating an already tenuous situation in the region.
