Israel has reacted after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the UK will recognize a Palestinian state in September if a ceasefire agreement is not reached.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry says such a step "would constitute a reward for Hamas."
Further, in its response, the ministry emphasizes that recognizing the Palestinian state at this stage would harm efforts to establish a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
London's recent stance joins a series of similar reactions from other European leaders regarding the Palestinian issue. French President Emmanuel Macron, in a recent statement, said that France is ready to recognize the state of Palestine "at the right moment" if there is no progress in the peace process.
He underlined that such a step would be taken in coordination with international partners, with the aim of sending a clear political message to Israel and promoting the two-state solution.
Earlier this year, Ireland, Spain and Norway officially recognized Palestine as an independent state, bringing the total number of countries that have taken this step to over 140. This increase in international support for Palestine has provoked strong reactions from Israel, which considers this stance as unilateral and a potential threat to its security.