(MENAFN) A government minister in the United Kingdom declared on Monday that the country intends to formally recognize the state of Palestine before the next general election scheduled for 2029.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told a news outlet that ministers are determined to grant recognition to Palestine. When asked if this would happen within the current parliamentary term, Reynolds responded, "In this parliament, yes. I mean, if it delivers the breakthrough that we need."

He cautioned, however, that any recognition must be meaningful. “But don't forget, we can only do this once. If we do it in a way which is tokenistic, doesn't produce the end to this conflict, where do we go to next?” he added.

Addressing the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, Reynolds emphasized the urgency of aid efforts: "the point about the airdrops is that we cannot wait -- we've got to do something." He went on to say, "We can all see the lapse in humanity on display."

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