Britain, Canada, and Australia officially announced on Sunday their formal recognition of Palestinian statehood. This move significantly increases pressure on Israel to address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and highlights a diplomatic divergence with the Trump administration.
These widely anticipated declarations occurred just before the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. France and Portugal have also committed to supporting Palestinian statehood at the U.N. this week, joining approximately 150 other nations that have already done so.
This unified action, spanning three continents, is expected to further isolate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu diplomatically. However, these recognitions have, so far, not halted Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands in Gaza and left much of the enclave in ruins.
Moreover, these symbolic acts of support for Palestinian self-determination are unlikely to immediately change the situation on the ground. The dream of a viable Palestinian state, situated on territories currently occupied or blockaded by the Israeli military, appears more distant than it has in decades.
(Image: Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, who announced his country’s recognition of Palestinian statehood on Sunday, and condemned Hamas as a “brutal terror organization.” Photo Credit: Eric Lee/The New York Times)
“The hope for a two-state solution is fading, but we cannot let that light go out,” declared British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a video statement. “Today, to revive the hope of peace and a two-state solution, I state clearly as prime minister of this great country that the United Kingdom formally recognizes the State of Palestine.”
Canada and Australia released their own statements confirming their decisions just hours before Starmer’s announcement on Sunday afternoon.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused the Israeli government of “methodically working to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed this sentiment, stating that a two-state solution has “always been the only path to enduring peace and security for both the Israeli and the Palestinian peoples.”
Palestinian leaders applauded the wave of announcements, while Israel’s government swiftly condemned them.
“Recognition is nothing but a reward for jihadist Hamas,” the Israeli foreign ministry stated in a social media post. In contrast, the Palestinian Authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, hailed Starmer’s announcement as “an important and necessary step.”
Starmer intentionally delayed his announcement until after President Trump’s state visit to Britain last week. During his visit, Trump voiced disagreement with the move, preferring to prioritize efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas militants.
When Starmer initially outlined Britain’s intentions in late July, he specified several conditions for formal recognition. These included Israel addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, agreeing to a cease-fire with Hamas for hostage release, and committing to a long-term peace based on a two-state solution with the Palestinians.
(Image: Palestinian families fleeing Gaza City this month as Israel intensified its attacks. Photo Credit: Saher Alghorra for The New York Times)
Since that time, Israel has targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar, which had been a venue for cease-fire negotiations, further diminishing prospects for an agreement. Far from scaling back, Israeli forces have expanded their combat operations, pushing deeper into Gaza’s main urban center, Gaza City.
In his video address, Starmer strongly condemned “Israel’s relentless and increasing bombardment of Gaza,” calling the “starvation and devastation utterly intolerable.” However, he also unequivocally denounced Hamas as a “brutal terror organization.”
“This solution is not a reward for Hamas,” he emphasized, “because it means Hamas can have no future, no role in government, no role in security.”
Husam Badran, a senior Hamas leader, described Starmer’s announcement as “a step in the right direction, even if it came late.” Yet, in a communication, he rejected the British demands that Hamas be excluded from any future political role in a Palestinian state.
For Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, this decision has been a complex balancing act. He has strived to maintain alignment between Britain and the United States on various global issues, including trade and the conflict in Ukraine. However, the situation in Gaza presents profound moral and political dilemmas.
Standing beside Trump last week, Starmer framed the recognition within a broader strategy, which includes advocating for hostage releases and revitalizing negotiations for a Palestinian state. He stated that recognition was “part of the overall package, which hopefully takes us from the appalling situation we’re in now.”
When a Fox News reporter suggested he delayed the announcement until Trump departed Britain, Starmer responded with an impassioned condemnation of Hamas. This prompted an approving pat on the shoulder from Trump, who remarked, “That’s good.”
Starmer also shared that he has extended family in Israel, including his British-born Jewish wife, Victoria. “I understand, firsthand, the psychological impact” of the Hamas attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers in October 2023, he said. “So, I know exactly where I stand in relation to Hamas.”
Domestic political considerations also influenced Starmer’s decision. Mounting pressure within his Labour Party and from the broader public, fueled by distressing images and videos of Palestinian suffering, underscored the need for further action.
(Image: Mr. Starmer and President Trump after a news conference outside London on Thursday. Mr. Trump said he disagreed with Britain’s plans to recognize a Palestinian state. Photo Credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times)
“The U.K. government will hope that this buys them an extended period of quiet without having to take further moves,” commented Daniel Levy, who directs the U.S./Middle East Project, a research institute in London and New York. “But if Israel’s actions continue to be as egregious, aggressive and criminal as is currently the case, then that is highly unlikely to play out.”
Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator, further added, “The U.K., along with others, will be under the spotlight of ‘What has recognition changed?’ The answer will be nothing, and pressure will again intensify to take more consequential measures.”
Critics, including Levy, argue that the British government has not done enough. It has refrained from accusing Israel of genocide, despite calls from Labour Members of Parliament and legal experts. While some weapons sales to Israel have been suspended, Britain continues to supply components for F-35 fighter jets, which are used by the Israeli Air Force in strikes on Gaza.
Britain’s actions have strained relations with Israel, with Prime Minister Netanyahu expressing particular anger over the plan to recognize Palestine.
The Israeli leader has not yet publicly reacted to the latest announcements. However, in July, he had stated on social media that British recognition would reward “Hamas’s monstrous terrorism & punishes its victims.”