London: The Palestinian flag was raised outside the newly designated Embassy of the State of Palestine in London on Monday, September 22, marking United Kingdom’s historic recognition of a Palestinian state.
The event was led by Husam Zomlot, Palestine’s Ambassador to the UK, who addressed supporters gathered outside the Hammersmith building, formerly known as the Palestine Mission.
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He described the flag as a symbol of mourning, hope, land and sacrifice, reflecting the long struggle for Palestinian self-determination.
Zomlot hailed the recognition as “a historic correction,” noting that it came in the very capital where the Balfour Declaration was issued more than a century ago. He also unveiled a plaque bearing the inscription The Embassy of the State of Palestine, which he said would be affixed once legal processes were complete.
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The Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, has raised the Palestinian flag outside the Palestine Mission in central London to mark its transition to Palestine’s embassy. pic.twitter.com/lmkOqMpauO— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 22, 2025
He added that Britain’s decision carried weight beyond Palestine, calling it a moral responsibility for the UK to acknowledge past injustices. “Palestine exists, it has always existed, and it always will,” Zomlot said to applause.
The ambassador cautioned, however, that the recognition coincided with severe suffering in the Palestinian territories, pointing to bombardment in Gaza and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.
The ambassador warned that the move came amid “unimaginable pain and suffering as a genocide is being waged against us,” citing destruction in Gaza and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian flag RAISED outside their embassy in London after UK's official recognition Followed by Palestine’s ambassador, Husam Zomlot’s speech pointing to it as ‘defiant act of truth, a refusal to let genocide be the final word’ pic.twitter.com/D7pEWYXhOs— RT (@RT_com) September 22, 2025
The UK’s move, announced on Sunday, September 21, places it alongside Canada, Portugal and Australia in recognising Palestinian statehood, despite strong objections from Israel and the United States. Both governments have vowed to boycott the upcoming UN Conference on Palestine Statehood in New York.
France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, San Marino and Andorra are also expected to follow suit, joining more than 145 countries that already recognise Palestine as a sovereign state.
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