Palestinian flag over Jerusalem’s Old City with Al Aqsa Mosque dome. Photo: X
In a historic move, the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Australia and Portugal on Sunday, September 21, formally recognised a Palestinian state, a coordinated step by the three Commonwealth nations despite opposition from the United States (US) and Israel.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move is intended “to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis,” stressing it is not a reward for Hamas, which he said will have no role in any future governance of the Palestinian people.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the decision on X, noting he had signalled it in late July as Western frustration grew over the war in Gaza.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Penny Wong, called the recognition part of a broader international effort to advance a two-state solution that begins with a Gaza ceasefire and the release of captives, while emphasising that Hamas must have “no role in Palestine.”
Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel announced that Portugal now officially recognises the state of Palestine, backing a two-state solution with Israel as the only path to lasting peace in the region.
The timing comes ahead of the UN General Assembly this week, where other nations, including France, are also expected to follow. The formal recognition by Western countries has angered Israel and the United States, which say it emboldens extremists and rewards Hamas, the group that led the October 7, 2023, attacks into southern Israel that triggered the war.
More than 145 countries already recognise a Palestinian state, including more than a dozen in Europe.
India is among the early countries to recognise the state of Palestine since the 1980s as part of a policy in support of a two-state solution for the resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that recognition of a Palestinian state “rewards terror”, with US President Donald Trump opposed to the move and demanding all the hostages be released by Hamas before any further action in the region.
“I have a disagreement with the prime minister (Starmer) on that score. One of our few disagreements, actually,” said Trump, when asked about the conflict during his UK State Visit earlier this week.
As well as arguing that recognition is immoral, critics argue that it’s an empty gesture given that the Palestinian people are divided into two territories — the West Bank
and Gaza — with no recognised international capital.Israeli bombardment over the past 23 months has killed more than 65,100 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, destroyed vast areas of the strip, displaced around 90 per cent of the population and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with experts saying Gaza City is experiencing famine.
Forty-eight hostages remain in Gaza, with fewer than half believed to still be alive. Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others.
With inputs from Associated Press.
Editor’s note: This article and headline has been updated to include Portugal’s formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
This post was last modified on September 22, 2025 1:18 am