LONDON — In a historic diplomatic move, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday, joining over 150 nations worldwide and signaling growing international frustration over Israel’s war in Gaza and its ongoing settlement expansion in the West Bank.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the recognition is aimed at “reviving the hope of peace” and reaffirmed that it is not a reward for Hamas, whose October 2023 attack killed more than 1,200 people and sparked the current conflict. “We recognized the state of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people. Today we join over 150 countries who recognize a Palestinian state also,” Starmer said.
The coordinated decision from three major Commonwealth allies comes ahead of this week’s United Nations General Assembly, where more countries — including France — are expected to follow suit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply condemned the recognition, declaring, “A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River,” and accusing the move of rewarding Hamas. Netanyahu is set to address the UN General Assembly on Friday before meeting U.S. President Donald Trump, who has also voiced disapproval.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the move, calling it a “necessary step toward achieving a just peace.” Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian envoy to the UK, said the recognition helps “right a colonial-era wrong” dating back to the 1917 Balfour Declaration.
Analysts say the recognition carries significant symbolic weight, particularly given Britain and France’s historic role in shaping the Middle East after World War I. “This move is intended to keep the two-state solution relevant and alive,” said Olivia O’Sullivan of Chatham House, while cautioning that without U.S. support, little may change on the ground.
The shift underscores rising alarm among Western governments over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where nearly two years of war have killed more than 65,000 people, displaced 90 per cent of the population, and sparked accusations of genocide — charges Israel vehemently denies.