In a historic diplomatic move, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and France have joined a growing chorus of Western nations formally recognizing the State of Palestine. Their announcements, made in late September 2025, mark a significant shift in international attitudes toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, bringing the total number of countries recognizing Palestinian statehood to 157, according to reports from Reuters and The Associated Press. This surge of recognition, led by some of Israel’s closest allies, is being framed as an attempt to revive the long-stalled two-state solution and inject fresh hope into an increasingly dire situation in the Middle East.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in a widely circulated video message posted on X, articulated the rationale behind the UK’s decision. "We recognized the state of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people," he stated. "Today we join over 150 countries who recognize a Palestinian state also. A pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people that there can be a better future." Starmer emphasized that the recognition was not a reward for Hamas, the Palestinian faction currently governing Gaza and responsible for the deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 others. "Hamas is a brutal terror organization," Starmer insisted, adding, "Hamas will have no future, no role in government, no role in security, in a Palestinian state."
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney echoed these sentiments, expressing his country’s desire to partner in "building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel." Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong issued a joint statement underscoring that Hamas "must have no role in Palestine." They described Australia’s recognition, alongside Canada and the UK, as part of a "co-ordinated international effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution, starting with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages taken in the atrocities of October 7, 2023."
For many observers, this wave of recognition is as much symbolic as it is substantive. As Al Jazeera notes, while diplomatically significant, the recognition does little on the ground to bring the prospect of Palestinian statehood closer. Israel, for its part, has responded to these developments not by reconsidering its policies, but by accelerating settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, including plans for around 3,400 new homes. These settlements, which are illegal under international law, would effectively bisect the West Bank and connect existing enclaves via roads designated for Israeli use only, further complicating any future contiguous Palestinian state.
Since the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, which were intended to lay the groundwork for Palestinian statehood, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has exercised some governmental functions and maintained diplomatic relations worldwide. Millions of Palestinians have lived for generations in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, despite decades of Israeli occupation and policies aimed at limiting their autonomy. The PA has established embassies and representative offices abroad, but its ability to govern is severely constrained by Israel’s control over borders, movement, resources, and security operations—a reality acknowledged by both the United Nations Secretariat (2011) and the International Criminal Court (2020).
International law, particularly the Montevideo Convention of 1933, outlines the criteria for statehood: a defined territory, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. Recognition by other countries, while politically influential, is not strictly required. Yet, as Al Jazeera points out, the practical barriers to Palestinian statehood remain formidable. Israeli settlements—over 160 in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, housing some 700,000 Israelis—continue to expand, with the backing of the Israeli government and powerful settler blocs. The settlements, along with industrial developments such as the Barkan Industrial Park, are supported by international companies like Airbnb, Expedia, and JCB, who benefit from government subsidies, low rents, favorable tax rates, and access to inexpensive Palestinian labor.
The Israeli government’s stance remains resolute. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to the latest recognition announcements, declared, "It will not happen. There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan [River]." His government, dominated by right-wing and far-right figures such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, has openly supported the expansion of settlements and, in July 2025, the Israeli Knesset voted to annex the West Bank—an act in direct defiance of international law. Netanyahu has characterized the recognition of Palestine by the UK, Canada, Australia, and others as "rewarding terror with an enormous prize," and he has vowed to announce Israel’s official response following a trip to the United States, where he is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump.
These developments have deepened the divide between Israel and much of the international community. The United States, Israel’s principal ally, continues to back Israel unequivocally, even as the majority of the world’s countries now support Palestinian statehood. Critics argue that without pressure from Washington or tangible consequences for Israel’s ongoing settlement activity and occupation, recognition alone is unlikely to shift the balance of power or alter the facts on the ground.
Indeed, the situation remains fraught with complexity. The PA’s capacity to govern is persistently undermined by Israeli restrictions, and the presence of Hamas in Gaza—whose violent actions have drawn widespread condemnation—complicates efforts to present a unified Palestinian front. Western leaders, including Starmer, Albanese, and Wong, have been at pains to clarify that their recognition of Palestine is not an endorsement of Hamas, but rather an attempt to salvage the possibility of a peaceful two-state solution, which envisions a secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state.
For Palestinians, the wave of recognition has been met with a mixture of hope and skepticism. While many see it as a long-overdue affirmation of their right to self-determination, others worry that without concrete action—such as an end to settlement expansion, the lifting of the blockade on Gaza, and genuine negotiations—the prospect of statehood will remain elusive. As one Palestinian observer told Al Jazeera, "Diplomatic recognition is important, but what we need is freedom, dignity, and control over our own land."
As the international community grapples with how to translate diplomatic recognition into meaningful progress on the ground, the path forward remains uncertain. The hope is that this new momentum might, at the very least, keep alive the vision of a peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians—a vision that, for now, appears as distant as ever.