Israeli offensive has already killed more than 65,000 people, mostly civilians, according to data from the Ministry of Health of Palestinian territory
João Gabriel de Lima, Manoella Smith and Carlos Villela
In historical decisions, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia officially recognized the state of Palestine this Sunday (21), in separate pronouncements. The countries thus anticipated the group of ten nations that are expected to do the same this week in the
High Level Conference on Palestine, which takes place in parallel to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The United Kingdom and Canada are the first G7 countries, a group that brings together some of the world’s leading economies, to recognize Palestine. “Any step towards recognition is because we want to keep the prospects for a two-state solution alive,” British Foreign Minister David Lammy told Sky News on Sunday morning.
British Prime Minister Keir Strmer was under pressure from his labor party-nor 130 subtitle deputies signed a letter in favor of recognition-but decided to wait for the visit to his country made by US President Donald Trump, who is Israel’s ally and the largest guarantor of the Jewish state in the world to officialize the announcement.
When asked about recognition of the territory in a conversation with journalists during the official visit, Trump said this “is one of the few disagreements” he has with Stmerer.
Canadian Premier Mark Carney confirmed the position in a statement and said recognition represents a coordinated international effort. “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,” says excerpt from the note, who criticizes Israel. “The current Israeli government is working to prevent the perspective of a Palestinian state from being established.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in turn, wrote in a statement that the “Hamas Terrorist Organization should have no role in Palestine.”
United Kingdom, Canada and Australia leave at the front of a movement of a series of Western countries in favor of the recognition of Palestine in a context of humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and international pressures by a two -state solution.
In July, French President Emmanuel Macron began the mobilization by announcing that he would officially recognize the state of Palestine during the UN summit in September.
At the time, the United Kingdom and other important allies of Israel, such as Canada, expressed the willingness to follow a similar way if the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip persisted.
Other European countries, in the case of Spain, Ireland and Norway, announced the recognition of the Palestinian state last year.
There are divisions, however. The group of ten countries that are expected to recognize Palestine this week-France, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra, Malta, San Marino, as well as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia-did not have the adhesion of the heavyweights Germany and Italy.
Thus, the purpose of the French President Emmanuel Macron was frustrated to create a European Union block to counteract Israel’s support position by the United States.
“The solution of two states, which would legally be the most desirable from the point of view of international law, remains pragmatically very difficult,” says Portuguese Daniel Pineu, professor and researcher in international relations at the University of Amsterdam.
“At least until there is a change of government in Israel, whose population is divided, or in the US. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, imposed restrictions on the participation of the Palestinian delegation in the UN General Assembly, even voting against his remote participation via video. It is a position that is based on very strong alignment with Israel.”
For Pineu, the solution of two states should also count on the support of the Arab countries. “They would have, however, to be guaranteed that they would not suffer reprisals, just as Israel would have to be guaranteed that it would no longer suffer terrorist attacks. In short, as long as there is no fundamental change from the Israeli government, and a political change in the US – difficult colludes in the next six months, or even in the next two years – the solution of two states will be blocked.”
In all, more than 140 countries recognize the Palestinian state, including Brazil, which made this decision in 2010.
Since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas, Tel Aviv’s forces have surrounded Gaza and its more than 2 million inhabitants, who are threatened by “widespread hunger,” according to the United Nations. The Israeli offensive has already killed more than 65,000 people, mostly civilians, according to data from the Ministry of Health of Palestinian territory, controlled by the terrorist group.
Data are considered reliable by the UN and cannot be checked independently due to Israel’s blockage at the entrance to the international press in Gaza.
