More and more countries are pledging to recognize Palestinian states, and more than 145 countries are currently participating in calls for international recognition.
Most countries that recognized the Palestinian state did so following the 1988 Declaration of the Palestinian National Council (PNC). Many other non-Western states followed the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
In the spring of 2024, more European countries and the Caribbean countries recognized Palestinian states such as Barbados, Ireland, Jamaica, Norway and Spain. At the time, Ireland Prime Minister Simon Harris called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “listen to the world and stop the humanitarian catastrophe we are watching in Gaza.”
Most recently, Australia, Belgium, Canada and France announced plans to recognize the Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Meanwhile, the UK has conditionally stated that it will recognize the Palestinian state if Israel fails to meet the criteria that includes agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.
These recent announcements leave the United States increasingly isolated about some of the closest allies on Israeli issues and how it implemented military campaigns and aid restrictions.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry “rejects” the recent calls for recognition in Europe, calling it a “reward to Hamas” that undermines efforts to reach a ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump also denounced the call for recognition.
It comes amid an increase in condemnation of Gaza’s starvation crisis caused by the blockade of humanitarian aid in Israel, which has been widely criticized by UN agencies and humanitarian groups.
