UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognize the State of Palestine

New York, MINA – The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have officially recognized the State of Palestine ahead of the United Nations General Assembly this week.

This diplomatic move comes amid Israel’s continued expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank and its intensified military aggression in Gaza.

In a formal statement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the recognition and stated, “We offer our partnership in building a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel.”

Carney further criticized the Israeli government, saying it has “systematically worked to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being realized.”

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“Recognizing the State of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, empowers those seeking peaceful coexistence and an end to Hamas. This in no way legitimizes terrorism or rewards it,” Carney added, as quoted by Al Jazeera on Sunday

He emphasized that the Palestinian Authority has made a “direct commitment” to Canada to reform governance, hold general elections next year without the participation of Hamas and demilitarize the future Palestinian state.

At the same time, Australia also declared its official recognition of Palestine. In a joint statement with Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the move was part of an international effort toward a two-state solution.

Their statement underlined that the recognition aims to revive momentum for a two-state solution starting with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, while also stressing that Hamas “should have no role in Palestine.”

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This coordinated announcement came as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also declared Britain’s recognition of the Palestinian state shortly after similar announcements by Ottawa and Canberra.

Starmer said the move was intended to “revive hope for peace between Palestine and Israel through a two-state solution.”

The coordinated recognition from these major Western powers, longtime allies of Israel signals increasing international isolation for Israel amid its ongoing offensive in Gaza, where over 65,200 Palestinians have been killed.

Israel and the United States have repeatedly argued that recognizing Palestinian statehood during the current conflict amounts to “rewarding” Hamas.

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Next week at the UN General Assembly in New York, more countries, including France are expected to officially recognize the State of Palestine. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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