Spain, Norway and Ireland set to recognise Palestinian statehood
Spain, Ireland, and Norway are set to officially recognize a Palestinian state on Tuesday, despite facing strong opposition from Israel, which has become increasingly isolated following seven months of conflict in Gaza.
Currently, around 144 out of the 193 United Nations member states recognize a Palestinian state, including many nations from the global south, as well as Russia, China, and India.
The governments of Madrid, Dublin, and Oslo have framed their decision as a means to boost efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Although the declarations from these three countries are largely symbolic, they hope to build momentum and encourage other European Union nations to take similar steps.
Spain and Ireland will be the largest and most influential EU members to recognize a Palestinian state, joining Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria.
In recent months, Britain, Australia, and EU members Malta and Slovenia have also indicated they might follow this example.
However, France has stated that it is not the right time to recognize Palestinian statehood, while Germany, alongside Israel's strongest ally, the United States, has rejected unilateral recognition, advocating for a two-state solution to be achieved through dialogue.
The ongoing conflict, which escalated after Hamas crossed Israel's southern border on October 7, has resulted in over 36,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's health ministry.
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