ALBAWABA - On September 21, four countries, including the UK, Canada, Portugal, and Australia, officially recognized the State of Palestine simultaneously with the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
For the first time, the UK added the State of Palestine to its official maps following Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement to the world. Starmer took to X (formerly known as Twitter) with a video captioned, "Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine."
He added in his lengthy statement, "In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are working to preserve the possibility of peace and the two-state solution."
The UK's recognition of Palestine signifies a historic shift in British politics since the Balfour Declaration 108 years ago.
UK adds Palestine to its official maps
According to The Telegraph, minutes after Keir Starmer's announcement, the Foreign Office updated the map on its website by changing "Occupied Palestinian Territories" to "Palestine." The updated map also revealed changes to British citizens who wish to travel to the area.
The map was split into three sectors and different colors (Green, Red, and Yellow). Occupied Palestine (Israel) was marked with Green, which asked British citizens to see the government's travel advice before travelling.
On the contrary, the West Bank and Gaza, which are part of the Palestinian territories, are marked with Red and Yellow. Red marking means that the government advises against all travel, while Yellow advises against all but "essential travelling."
