Foreign secretary David Lammy has revealed hopes that the UK's decision to recognise a Palestinian state will aide the push for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The UK government announced on Tuesday it would formally recognise the state of Palestine if Israel did not agree to a ceasefire and take steps towards ending the war.
Lammy told the BBC the world had seen "the most horrific scenes" in Gaza and the time had come to "abate the suffering of the Palestinian people".
However Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, criticised the decision, saying it rewarded "Hamas' monstrous terrorism", adding that "appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails".
Domestically, the decision has also been criticised, with the Liberal Democrats arguing the recognition should happen immediately, and the Conservatives and Reform suggesting now is not the time.
But Lammy says the announcement "puts us on a pathway towards recognition".
He added: "It is my sincere hope that the decision that we have taken affects the situation on the ground, and we get to that ceasefire, we get to those hostages coming out as soon as possible."