Britain, Canada and Australia on Sunday formally recognised a Palestinian state, marking a watershed moment in Western foreign policy and drawing a swift rebuke from Israel. Portugal announced it would follow suit later in the day.
The coordinated decisions — the first by members of the G7 — come nearly two years into Israel’s war in Gaza, which began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks. They signal growing international pressure on Israel amid spiralling civilian casualties, a deepening humanitarian crisis and stalled prospects for peace.
“Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement on X.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney echoed the move, writing: “Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel.”
Australia’s Prime Minister made a similar declaration, while Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa confirmed his country would announce recognition at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the recognitions, calling them “an absurd reward for terrorism” and vowing to oppose them during UN talks.
For decades, powerful Western nations argued that Palestinian statehood should emerge only through a negotiated settlement with Israel. But rising public pressure, particularly in Europe, has shifted the calculus. A YouGov poll last week showed two-thirds of Britons aged 18–25 support recognition.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has described Britain as bearing a “special burden” because of its role in the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which laid the groundwork for Israel’s creation.
More than 140 of the UN’s 193 members already recognise Palestine. Starmer’s Labour government had signalled in July that recognition would proceed unless Israel moved to ease conditions in Gaza, allow more aid into the territory and halt annexation plans in the West Bank.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said recognition “sends a very clear message to the Israelis on their illusions on continuing their occupation forever.”
The Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s military campaign since then has killed at least 65,208 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry data cited by the United Nations.
While recognition does not resolve immediate humanitarian needs or secure the release of Israeli hostages, its backers say it represents a political push to keep the two-state solution alive.
