Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin has described the decision by the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia to formally recognise a Palestinian state as an irreversible step that strengthens the two-state solution and moves Palestinians closer to sovereignty.
Speaking to reporters in Ramallah on Sunday, Shahin said the recognition was a historic moment that must be built upon. “This may not end the war tomorrow, but it brings us closer to independence and is a step forward we must amplify,” she stated, referring to Israel’s nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza.
The move has been welcomed by Palestinians but strongly criticised by Israel and the United States. Israeli officials have dismissed the recognition as meaningless, insisting that Palestinian statehood can only be achieved through direct negotiations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently reiterated his rejection of a Palestinian state, declaring that it “will never happen.”
Shahin countered that Israel has no intention of negotiating, pointing to Netanyahu’s participation at a ceremony for a new settlement in the occupied West Bank that would cut off northern Palestinian towns from those in the south. She emphasised that recognition of Palestinian statehood “is not symbolic but a practical, tangible, and irreversible action necessary to preserve the two-state solution.”
The recognition comes amid broader international momentum. France and Saudi Arabia have been at the forefront of efforts to revive peace talks, and more countries are expected to announce recognition of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.
In contrast, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee dismissed the recognition efforts as counterproductive. Israeli officials have simultaneously intensified settlement expansion and discussions on annexing parts of the West Bank, even as the country faces growing diplomatic isolation.
Some of Israel’s traditional allies, excluding the United States, have condemned its military actions in Gaza, with several imposing sanctions on Israeli ministers accused of inciting violence against Palestinians.
Shahin called for international pressure on Israel to extend beyond political statements to include economic measures. “Today, Gaza burns. Today, Gaza is destroyed. Today, people are systematically murdered,” she said, accusing Israel of committing genocide — an allegation Israel denies.
Last week, a United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, a finding echoed by Amnesty International, Israeli human rights organisations, and a global network of legal scholars.