British Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said Wednesday that the U.K. government’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state if Israel fails to allow more aid into Gaza will not reward the militant group Hamas.

“We’ve got to ratchet up pressure on the Israeli government to lift the restrictions to get aid back into Gaza,” Ms. Alexander told LBC radio. “This is not a reward for Hamas. Hamas is a vile terrorist organization that has committed appalling atrocities. This is about the Palestinian people. It’s about those children that we see in Gaza who are starving to death.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday issued an ultimatum to Israel, promising to recognize a Palestinian state in September if Israel does not reach a ceasefire with Hamas and take action to relieve suffering in Gaza.

Officials in Israel and the U.S. condemned the ultimatum, saying that recognizing a Palestinian state would legitimize Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which more than 1,200 civilians were killed and more than 200 others were taken hostage.

“We had a ceasefire on October 7th. We had a ceasefire early on. They broke that. And there is a point where you don’t find ways to placate or reward the people that have done such horrible things to humanity,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Tuesday.

The U.K.’s ultimatum follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement last week that his country will recognize a Palestinian state. France is the first industrialized nation to call for recognition of Palestine.

The calls for recognition of a Palestinian state come amid a mounting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which some have classified as a famine. According to the World Food Program, nearly 500,000 Gazans are experiencing famine-like conditions, including 90,000 in need of special nutritional care.

Israel has only allowed a small fraction of available food trucks to enter Gaza, citing security concerns.

International aid organizations say Israel’s insistence on control has exacerbated suffering. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification says 62,000 metric tons of staple food per month is the minimum required to avoid famine in Gaza. Reports indicate that about half that amount has entered Gaza over the last few months.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.