JD Vance: We have no plans to recognize Palestinian state

The United States has reiterated that it will not recognize a Palestinian state, a position it intends to convey in upcoming discussions with the UK after London recently announced its formal recognition of Palestinian statehood.

Speaking during his visit to the UK, US Vice President JD Vance confirmed that the matter would be addressed in his talks with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

“Obviously, the UK is going to make its decision. We have no plans to recognize a Palestinian state," Vance said during remarks at Chevening House in Kent.

He questioned the feasibility of such recognition under current conditions, citing what he described as “the lack of functional government” in Palestinian territories. Vance stressed that President Donald Trump’s priorities regarding the ongoing war in Gaza are twofold.

"Number one, we want to make it so that Hamas cannot attack innocent Israeli civilians ever again, and we think that has to come through the eradication of Hamas," he said.

As the second priority, Vance pointed to the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying, "The president has been very moved by these terrible images of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. So, we want to make sure that we solve that problem."

While acknowledging that Washington and London may disagree on how to address the crisis, Vance said both share the same overarching objective of resolving it.

“We may have some disagreements about how exactly to accomplish that goal, and we’ll talk about that today," he added.

When asked if the US had advance knowledge of 'Israeli' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s directive to occupy Gaza City, Vance declined to comment on “private conversations,” adding that President Trump would address the media directly on the matter.