The UK, Canada and Australia recognized the State of Palestine as a sovereign nation on Sunday.
The decision, announced ahead of Monday’s UN General Assembly opening, marked a seismic departure from some of Israel’s staunchest Western supporters.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK supports the two-state solution, a settlement backed by an overwhelming majority during the United Nations’ General Assembly on Sept. 12.
“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,” Starmer wrote on X.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney shared a similar message.
“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,” Carney wrote on X.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement that Australia recognized “the legitimate and long-held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own.”
“Today’s act of recognition reflects Australia’s longstanding commitment to a two-state solution, which has always been the only path to enduring peace and security for the Israeli and the Palestinian peoples,” Albanese wrote, according to AFP.
The move comes as Israel launches a new offensive to seize Gaza City, where the UN has declared a famine.
AFP reported that the war, triggered by Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack in 2023 that killed 1,219 people in Israel, has since left at least 65,208 dead in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures deemed reliable by the UN.