“Most of us want to see a two-state solution to the crisis in the Middle East,” Badenoch wrote in an essay for The Telegraph on her foreign policy plans. “But it is obvious, and the U.S. has been clear on this, that recognition of a Palestinian state at this time and without the release of the hostages [in Gaza], would be a reward for terrorism. Yet Keir Starmer plans to do just that as [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump leaves.”

The families of Israeli and British-linked hostages held by Hamas in Gaza sent an open letter to Starmer on Saturday, urging him not to proceed with the U.K.’s planned recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations. They called the announcement “regrettable” and said it “dramatically complicated efforts” to bring their loved ones home.

They wrote that Hamas had celebrated the British move as a “victory” and immediately reneged on a ceasefire deal, further endangering the 48 hostages still in captivity out of the original 251 abducted on Oct. 7, 2023.

“We write to you with a simple plea: do not take this step until our loved ones are home and in our arms,” the relatives wrote. “The best way to end this terrible war is for Hamas to release all of the 48 remaining hostages—those who are alive, for rehabilitation, and those who are not, for proper burial. We implore you to use the U.K.’s relationships with countries across the region to apply maximum pressure upon Hamas.”

The letter concludes: “As Prime Minister of the U.K., you have a valuable role to play in bringing the hostages home, including three remaining British-linked hostages. But your current path is the wrong one.”

Nearly nine in 10 Britons reject Starmer’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state without conditions, according to a new survey reported by The Telegraph on Saturday.

The JL Partners poll found that just 13% of Britons—dropping to 11% among Labour voters—favor unconditional recognition, while 51% oppose recognition as long as the Hamas terrorist group still controls Gaza and hostages remain captive.

The survey also found that 40% believe recognition should be tied to Hamas agreeing to a ceasefire and releasing hostages, while 52% think granting statehood would reward terrorists by conceding to their demands.

Seventeen percent of Britons oppose recognizing Palestinian statehood under any circumstances.

Starmer is expected to announce recognition of a Palestinian state on Sunday, with The Telegraph reporting that he will also declare the imposition of new sanctions on Hamas.

On Thursday, Starmer hosted Trump at the Prime Minister’s official country residence at Chequers, Buckinghamshire during the latter’s official trip to the United Kingdom.

The two held a joint press conference in which Trump said he had a “disagreement” with the British leader over the situation in the Middle East.

In July, Starmer stated that his government would declare its recognition of a Palestinian state if Israel does not stop its war against Hamas in Gaza by Sep. 21.

Badenoch lambasted the move, saying that the premier’s ambiguous language with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had harmed British interests abroad and represented “moral confusion,” according to The Telegraph.

“This summer, when Hamas leaders were eliminated in strikes by our democratic ally Israel, Keir Starmer rushed to condemn not the terrorists, but Israel,” she said.

“When Israel and the U.S. coordinated strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a regime that funds terrorism on our streets and threatens our citizens, Labour’s leaders could not say whether they supported the action. That is not diplomacy. It is moral confusion. It sends a signal to terrorists and tyrants alike that Britain no longer knows which way it is going,” Badenoch added.

The Conservative leader further stated that she saw in Starmer “a man with poor judgment, unsure what to do, and incapable of leading Britain on the world stage,” who “is beholden to his hard-Left backbenchers.”

Badenoch related that when she met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog last week in London, “I was struck again by the difference between a country with clear strategic goals (like them or not) and our Labour Government.

“Conservative realism … understands that authoritarians do not respect weakness. They respect strength. That is why Conservatives will never apologise for standing by Israel when it strikes back against terrorism.”

In a joint press conference with Starmer on Sept. 18, Trump told reporters, “I simply want the hostages released now. Right now. Not one, two, ‘We’ll give you three more tomorrow,’ like it’s been.”

Standing next to Starmer, he said: “We must remember Oct. 7, one of the worst, most violent days in the history of the world. Not just there, the history of the world. And I got to see the tapes and I wish I didn’t see them, actually, but I got to see them. I want an end, I want the hostages released, and I think it’s going to be okay, but it has been a brutal period of time.”

Trump also spoke about the freed hostages who had visited him in the White House, listening to their “stories I never thought even possible. There was no humanity, no anything. I [asked]them, was there any warmth shown during this stay—like, they offered you a little extra meal, they gave you a little smile, and said ‘don’t worry you’ll be okay’—and every one of them said, ‘Not even a little bit.’”