The United Kingdom, Australia and Canada on Sunday formally recognized the independent and sovereign State of Palestine, joining more than 149 nations that have already recognized Palestine as a state, official statements from the three governments stated.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a televised speech that the move was aimed at “helping Palestinians and Israelis build a better future.” He condemned the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling the starvation and devastation “utterly intolerable.”
“The starvation and devastation are utterly intolerable,” Starmer said, noting that tens of thousands have been killed, including civilians collecting food and water. Starmer urged Israel to lift border restrictions and “stop these cruel tactics and let the aid surge in.” Israel has previously denied blocking aid.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement outside the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying the decision took effect immediately and reflected a coordinated international effort to revive the two-state solution. “Australia recognizes the legitimate and long-held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own,” Albanese said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on X that Canada “recognizes 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.”
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Sunday vowed to push for the “immediate” annexation of the occupied West Bank in response to the recognition of a Palestinian state by the UK, Canada, and Australia.
“The recognition by the UK, Canada, and Australia of a ‘Palestinian’ state, as a prize for the murderous Nukhba terrorists, requires immediate countermeasures,” Ben Gvir wrote on X.
Ben Gvir called for “the immediate application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (the biblical name for the regions known collectively as the West Bank) and the complete dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.”
