Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the UK is attempting to "affect the situation on the ground" in Gaza after the government announced it would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agreed to end the crisis in Gaza.
Speaking to the BBC's Tom Bateman at the UN in New York, Lammy said the world had seen "the most horrific scenes" in Gaza and called for a ceasefire.
The time had come, he said, to "abate the suffering of the Palestinian people" and set a pathway to peace.
But the decision has been criticised by opposition parties, with the Liberal Democrats saying recognition should happen right away, and the Conservatives and Reform UK arguing now is not the right time.
The UK government has previously said recognition of a Palestinian state should come at a point when it can have maximum impact, as part of a peace process.
