Camille Naredo

A protester waves a Palestinian flag during a march asking for the "recognition of the State of Palestine and the end of the genocide", in Paris on September 21, 2025. Bertrand Guay, AFP

A protester waves a Palestinian flag during a march asking for the "recognition of the State of Palestine and the end of the genocide", in Paris on September 21, 2025. French President sent a shockwave through the international community with his pledge over the summer to recognise a Palestinian state. His announcement, planned for September 22, 2025 in a speech in New York at a conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, is now to be matched by recognition by nine other states including Australia, Belgium, Canada and the UK, according to the Elysee. (Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFP)

Article (news)

PALESTINE

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758476346819AFP__20250921__76AJ8F9__v3__MidRes__FrancePalestinianIsraelConflictDemo.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A protester waves a Palestinian flag during a march asking for the &quot;recognition of the State of Palestine and the end of the genocide&quot;, in Paris on September 21, 2025. Bertrand Guay, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A protester waves a Palestinian flag during a march asking for the &quot;recognition of the State of Palestine and the end of the genocide&quot;, in Paris on September 21, 2025. <em>Bertrand Guay, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>LONDON, United Kingdom -- Britain, Australia and Canada on Sunday recognized a Palestinian state in a coordinated, seismic shift from decades of Western foreign policy, triggering swift anger from Israel.</p><p>Portugal was also set to recognize Palestinian statehood later Sunday, as Israel comes under huge international pressure over its war against Hamas in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation in the besieged territory.</p><p>&quot;Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognizes the State of Palestine,&quot; UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a message on X.</p><p>The three countries became the first members of the Group of Seven advanced economies to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly which opens Monday in New York.</p><p>&quot;Canada recognizes the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future,&quot; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.</p><p>Australia&#x27;s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra&#x27;s move &quot;recognizes the legitimate and long held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own&quot;.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/8/israel-warns-recognizing-palestinian-state-could-trigger-unilateral-action-0050">READ: Israel warns recognizing Palestinian state could trigger &#x27;unilateral&#x27; action</a></div><p>Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas hailed Sunday&#x27;s recognition as &quot;an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace in accordance with international legitimacy.&quot;</p><p>But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the move as &quot;absurd&quot; and said it would &quot;endanger&quot; Israel&#x27;s existence.</p><p>It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their ambitions for statehood, with the most powerful Western nations having long argued it should only come as part of a negotiated peace deal with Israel.</p><p>Although a largely symbolic move, it puts those countries at odds with the United States and Israel.</p><p>US President Donald Trump said last week after talks with Starmer during a state visit to the UK that &quot;one of our few disagreements&quot; was over Palestinian statehood.</p><p>A growing number of longtime Israeli allies have shifted their long-held positions as Israel has intensified its Gaza offensive, which began almost two years ago with Hamas&#x27;s October 7, 2023 attack.</p><p>The Gaza Strip has suffered vast destruction, with a growing international outcry over the besieged coastal territory&#x27;s spiralling death toll.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/25/france-will-recognize-state-of-palestine-says-macron-israel-furious-0817">READ: France will recognize State of Palestine, says Macron</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/7/31/canada-to-recognize-state-of-palestine-at-un-general-assembly-1048">READ: Canada to recognize State of Palestine at UN General Assembly</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Special burden&#x27; -</strong></div><p>The UK government has come under increasing public pressure to act, with thousands rallying every month on the streets. A poll released by YouGov on Friday showed two-thirds of British people aged 18-25 supported Palestinian statehood.</p><p>Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy acknowledged at the UN in July that &quot;Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution&quot;.</p><p>The UK was pivotal in laying the groundwork for the creation of the State of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.</p><p>Three-quarters of UN members already recognize Palestinian statehood, with more than 140 of the 193 nations having taken the step.</p><p>Starmer said in July that his Labour government intended to recognize a Palestinian state unless Israel took &quot;substantive&quot; steps including reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, getting more aid into the territory and confirming it would not annex the West Bank.</p><p>He said on Sunday that Britain was acting &quot;in the face of the growing horror in the Middle East&quot;.</p><p>The Labour renewed calls for a ceasefire and again demanded that the Palestinian militants release the hostages seized in their 2023 attack on Israel.</p><p>Branding Hamas a &quot;brutal terror organization&quot;, Starmer also confirmed plans to step up sanctions on the militants, denying that recognition was a &quot;reward&quot; for the group.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/2/israel-builds-up-military-ahead-of-gaza-city-offensive-2115">READ: Israel builds up military ahead of Gaza City offensive</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>- &#x27;Framework for peace&#x27; -</strong></div><p>Hamas&#x27;s 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.</p><p>Israel&#x27;s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 65,208 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which the United Nations considers reliable.</p><p>Portugal said it would also formally declare its recognition in New York on Sunday.</p><p>&quot;By acting now ... we&#x27;re keeping alive the possibility of having two states,&quot; Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said.</p><p>The UK&#x27;s foreign ministry said the recognitions were part of &quot;coordinated international efforts&quot; to draw  up a framework for peace to &quot;address governance, security, humanitarian access&quot; as well as building a two-state solution.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Britain, Australia and Canada on Sunday recognized a Palestinian state in a coordinated, seismic shift from decades of Western foreign policy, triggering swift anger from Israel.</p>

Britain, Australia and Canada on Sunday recognized a Palestinian state in a coordinated, seismic shift from decades of Western foreign policy, triggering swift anger from Israel.

UK, Australia and Canada recognize Palestinian state

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UK, Australia and Canada recognize Palestinian state

Jo Biddle and Akshata Kapoor,

Agence France-Presse

Published Sep 22, 2025 02:01 AM PHT

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Palestine

Israel

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