Canada plans to recognise Palestine, Portugal ponders
Canada plans to recognise the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced, ratcheting up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza.
Malta will declare recognition of a Palestinian state during the general assembly of the United Nations in September, Prime Minister Robert Abela said.
Portugal will also consider whether to recognise the State of Palestine at the UN in September, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro's office said on Thursday.
The announcements came after France said last week it would recognise a Palestinian state and a day after Britain said it would recognise the state at September's UN General Assembly meeting if the fighting in Gaza, part of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, had not stopped by then.
Carney told reporters that the reality on the ground, including starvation of people in Gaza, meant 'the prospect of a Palestinian state is literally receding before our eyes.'
The announcements by some of Israel's closest allies reflect growing international outrage over Israel's restrictions on food and other aid to Gaza in its war against Hamas, and the dire humanitarian crisis there. A global hunger monitor has warned that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in the enclave.
'The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages,' the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made similar comments after the French and British announcements.
A White House official said President Donald Trump also sees recognition of the State of Palestine as wrongly 'rewarding Hamas.'
Unlike neighbouring Spain, whose leftist government recognised Palestinian statehood in May 2024 alongside Ireland and Norway and called on other EU countries to do the same, Portugal has taken a more cautious approach, saying it wanted to work out a common position with other EU countries first. — Agencies
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