David Cameron has doubled down on suggestions that the UK could recognise a Palestinian state, saying the move could come before the end of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The UK’s recognition of an independent state of Palestine “can’t come at the start of the process, but it doesn’t have to be the very end of the process,” Lord Cameron said on Thursday.

“It could be something that we consider as this process, as this advance to a solution, becomes more real. What we need to do is give the Palestinian people a horizon towards a better future, the future of having a state of their own,” he added.

The US has also supported plans for an independent Palestine, saying that a “two-state solution” is vital for long-term stability.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected the creation of an independent Palestinian state after the war, saying that Israel must retain security control of the region.

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