IsraelPalestine

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says his country knows well the futility of war. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, he called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Activists on board the Global Sumud Flotilla said they heard explosions and saw drone attacks late on Tuesday

Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza-bound flotilla with pro-Palestinian activists on board carrying aid, reported hearing explosions and seeing multiple drone attacks from their boats situated off Greece from late Tuesday to the early hours of Wednesday.

“Multiple drones, unidentified objects dropped, communications jammed and explosions heard from a number of boats,” the Global Sumud Flotilla said in a statement, without adding whether there were any casualties.

“We are witnessing these psychological operations firsthand, right now, but we will not be intimidated.”

Suited in a life jacket, Brazilian organiser Tiago Avila updated on his Instagram at midnight on Wednesday that a total of 10 attacks targeted multiple boats with sound bombs and explosive flares. They were also sprayed with suspected chemicals.

US activist Greg Stoker said his boat off the coast of Crete was also a target.

“Our boat was assailed by a quadcopter that dropped a little popper on deck. A couple of other boats experienced that as well. Our VHF [very high frequency] radio was hijacked by adversarial comms, and they started playing Abba,” he said on Instagram.

Israeli authorities have not publicly commented on the reports of drones, explosions or communications interference being used against the flotilla.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed in a post on X that the sailing boats were “pursuing a violent course of action”, which “highlights the insincerity of the flotilla members and their mission to serve Hamas, rather than the people in Gaza”.

The ministry asked that the flotilla hand the aid on board the boats over to Israel so it can be transferred to Gaza “in a coordinated and peaceful manner” via the nearby Ashkelon Marina, which the flotilla organisers rejected.

“If the flotilla continues to reject Israel’s peaceful proposal, Israel will take the necessary measures to prevent its entry into the combat zone and to stop any violation of a lawful naval blockade, while making every possible effort to ensure the safety of its passengers,” the Israeli statement read.

Avila called this “manipulation from the Zionist regime”.

“We can never believe an occupying force who is committing genocide that they will deliver aid – it’s not in their interests,” he said on his Instagram.

The flotilla, numbering 51 boats, set sail from the western part of the Mediterranean Sea earlier this month with the aim of breaking Israel’s blockade of Gaza and delivering aid to the territory. It had already been targeted in two suspected drone attacks in Tunisia, where its boat had been anchored, before resuming its voyage towards Gaza.

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg is among the high-profile participants.

International activists, including aid workers and campaigners, say they organised the flotilla as a peaceful action to draw global attention to Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

Israel blocked two earlier attempts by activists to reach Gaza by sea in June and July.

Israeli forces killed at least 36 Palestinians on Tuesday as they pounded Gaza from the air and ground, as world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York demanded an end to the two-year war.

Residential buildings continue to be flattened as Israel presses ahead with its plan to seize the enclave’s largest city.

Satellite imagery analysed by Al Jazeera shows Israeli army vehicles tightening a stranglehold around Gaza City, surrounding it from several directions. Footage verified by Al Jazeera shows tanks pushing into the Nassr neighbourhood, barely a kilometre from al-Shifa Hospital.

This destruction forms part of a pattern that a UN commission says amounts to genocide.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday warned that Israel’s military actions are “inflicting terror on the Palestinian population of Gaza City and forcing tens of thousands to flee”.

The suffering of Palestinians has drawn the attention of the global leaders, who have used the UNGA platform to demand a ceasefire in Gaza.

Addressing the UNGA, US President Donald Trump said that the Gaza war should stop “immediately” but dismissed the recognition of a Palestinian state by several Western countries, calling it a “reward” for Hamas.

The US president met leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye, Indonesia and Pakistan on the sidelines of the UNGA. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the meeting was “very fruitful,” adding that a joint declaration from the meeting would be published.

‘Stuck under the rubble’

Israeli strikes have hit civilians across Gaza. One man was killed and others wounded in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood, while another strike hit Palestinians queueing for water in Gaza City’s Daraj neighbourhood, sources told Al Jazeera.

Medical infrastructure is also being dismantled. Israeli shelling destroyed the main medical centre in Gaza City, injuring at least two medical workers, according to the Palestinian Medical Relief Society.

The charity said that troops prevented the evacuation of equipment and supplies, even as the facility served the wounded, cancer patients and blood donors. Other clinics in Tal al-Hawa and the Shati refugee camp have also been destroyed or besieged.

Hind Khoudary, reporting for Al Jazeera from az-Zawayda, described the devastation: “The situation continues to deteriorate, especially in the heart of Gaza City, where Israeli forces have been using artillery shelling and quadcopters to push more Palestinians to evacuate to the south and central areas.

“There have been endless appeals from Palestinian families saying their relatives are stuck under the rubble, but no one can reach them.”

No safe zones

Tens of thousands of Palestinians fleeing Gaza City have ended up in the central and southern areas of the enclave, which are under constant bombardment. The Israeli-designated “safe zone” of al-Mawasi has itself been attacked repeatedly, with health officials warning that it lacks the basic necessities of life, including water, food [and] health services, while disease spreads through overcrowded camps.

Experts say the forced movement is itself part of the machinery of genocide: driving families into displacement under fire and stripping them of shelter, food and dignity.

At Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, doctors report that three Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli forces near the supposed safe zone further south. Three children died from malnutrition in southern Gaza, according to hospital sources.

In August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification declared that famine was under way in northern Gaza and would spread south. Gaza’s Ministry of Health warns that hospitals are now “entering an extremely dangerous phase” due to fuel shortages.

This collapse of health services and the deliberate obstruction of food and fuel deliveries has led to UN experts accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war.

West Bank under attack

While global attention remains fixed on the destruction in Gaza, events in the occupied West Bank may carry even deeper implications for the future of the conflict.

Israel has threatened to accelerate annexation plans in the West Bank in the wake of recognition of Palestinian statehood by several Western countries, including France and the United Kingdom.

On the ground, violence has intensified. Armed settlers shot dead Saeed Murad al-Nasan in the village of al-Mughayyir, north of Ramallah, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.

Israeli forces raided multiple towns around Nablus and ordered the indefinite closure of the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge, the only gateway for goods and people between the West Bank and Jordan.

The tightening of settlements, killings and closure of borders are not isolated incidents. Together, they form part of what a UN report on Tuesday described as a systematic effort to secure permanent Israeli control over Gaza and entrench a Jewish majority in the West Bank.

It comes after a UN commission concluded last week that Israel’s policies – forced displacement, denial of return, destruction of infrastructure and the deliberate use of starvation as a weapon – meet the legal definition of genocide.

First day of high-level meeting to kick off with speeches from world leaders, including from Brazil, US, Turkiye, Qatar and France.

At least 17 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn, including 15 in Gaza City, according to medical sources.

An Australian medic working at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital says she has lost count of the number of amputations she has had to perform, as two more hospitals were shut down amid Israel’s relentless bombardment of the enclave.

“On the first day, I started off thinking I’ve never seen anything like this, and then in the following days I’ve seen … more. I’ve lost count of the number of amputations I’ve done,” Dr Saya Aziz, an anaesthesiologist, told Al Jazeera.

“The worst thing is these patients are alive … when we take them into the [operation] theatre they’re alive, they’re bleeding to death,” she said, adding how in the recess area of the hospital, dangling bits of toes and flesh and people with missing limbs have become a common sight.

Dr Aziz, who joined the barely functional medical facility about a week ago, says that as soon as hospital staff members hear a huge bomb, within minutes, the hospital fills up with mass casualties.

“You’ll hear the wailing, the screams, the chaos of family members bringing in the patients … it is a bloodbath,” she said.

The doctor added that the hospital’s operating theatre is also in a sordid state with flies everywhere, while Israel has curbed the entry of aid, including medical supplies, into Gaza.

“Everything is just filthy. I can’t even clean the patients covered in dust, gun powder, we’ve got no gauze … I wish I had a couple of towels, which I could wash the patients with. I have no fluids to clean them with. I have no pain relief to give them. My heart breaks,” Aziz said.

Healthcare crippled by Israeli attacks

Al-Shifa Hospital was once the largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip, but most of it now lies in ruins after several rounds of intense Israeli ground and air sieges since the start of the war in October 2023.

Gaza’s healthcare facilities have been repeatedly targeted by Israel, including with 2,000-pound bombs supplied by the United States, Israel’s closest ally.

Hundreds of medics have been killed in the 23 months of brutal war that has been dubbed a genocide by numerous rights organisations, including the United Nations.

Dr Adnan Al-Bursh, the head of orthopaedics at al-Shifa Hospital, was tortured to death in an Israeli prison months after he was arrested in December 2023. Dr Hussam Abu Safia, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, was arrested last November. He still languishes in an Israeli jail.

Targeting of health facilities, medical personnel and patients is considered a war crime under the 1949 Geneva Convention.

Aziz said that on Sunday, Israel’s attacks also killed one of the hospital’s nursing staff and his wife.

“Their one surviving child, an 11-year-old, had burns on his face. I couldn’t even give him any pain relief,” she said, tearing up.

“His name is Mohammad, and he kept saying, ‘I could see my father, I never even said goodbye to him.’”

Israel has routinely justified its deadly attacks on healthcare facilities across Gaza by saying it was targeting Hamas, though it has never provided any proof for its claims.

But media reports, including from Al Jazeera, have documented evidence of Israel’s targeting of medics and hospitals during the course of the devastating war that has killed more than 65,300 Palestinians.

On Monday, the Gaza Health Ministry said two Gaza City hospitals stopped services due to the escalation of Israel’s ground offensive and damage caused by continued Israeli bombing, as tanks advanced deeper into Gaza City.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City have been forced to flee, as Israel has vowed to seize the city, which hosted more than a million people ahead of the latest Israeli offensive that began a few weeks ago.

Famine has also spread in Gaza as Israel continues to block the entry of aid. At least 440 people have died due to starvation so far.

The Health Ministry said in a statement that al-Rantissi Children’s Hospital had been badly damaged in an Israeli bombardment a few days ago. It also reported Israeli attacks in the vicinity of the nearby St John Eye Hospital, which forced the suspension of services there, too.

“The occupation deliberately and systematically targets the healthcare system in the Gaza governorate as part of its genocidal policy against the Strip,” it said.

“None of the facilities or hospitals have safe access routes that allow patients and the wounded to reach them,” the ministry added.

But despite Israel’s attacks, doctors at the major urban centre’s al-Shifa Hospital say leaving patients is not an option.

“Our medical crews are still carrying out their humanitarian mission in this hospital complex under heavy pressure,” the director of the hospital, Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya, told Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili in Gaza City on Saturday.

“Their message continues: We serve patients and the injured to the best of our abilities.”

The Zionist narrative has been a dominating force in the United States for more than seven decades. Promoted by powerful lobbies, nurtured by Christian evangelicals, and echoed by mainstream media, it remained largely unchallenged until the outbreak of the genocide in Gaza.

In nearly two years, the unyielding images of horror, the scale of devastation, and the shocking loss of human lives have created an indomitable record of horror that has challenged the Zionist narrative. Poll after poll is registering a shift in public opinion vis-a-vis Israel. On both sides of the political divide, Americans are growing less enthusiastic about blanket support for the longstanding US ally. So what does this mean for US-Israeli relations?

In the short and medium term, not much. US arms, aid, security cooperation, and diplomatic backing for Israel will barely be affected. The support structure built up over almost eight decades cannot be expected to evaporate overnight.

But in the long term, US backing will be reduced. This means Israel will be forced to reconsider its aggressive posture in the region and roll back its plans to rule over all of historic Palestine.

What the polls say

Polls started picking up a shift in US public opinion, especially among young Democrats, even before the October 7, 2023 attacks. But afterwards, this change appeared to accelerate dramatically.

A poll conducted by Pew Research in March this year suggests that negative attitudes towards Israel have risen from 42 percent to 53 percent of all US adults since 2022. The shift is more pronounced among Democrats, from 53 percent to 69 percent for the same period.

What is remarkable about this change is that it is cross-generational. Among Democrats 50 and older – people who are usually moderate on foreign policy issues – negative attitudes towards Israel increased from 43 percent to 66 percent.

Expressions of sympathy have also changed. According to an August poll (PDF) by The Economist and YouGov, 44 percent of Democrats sympathise more with Palestinians, compared with 15 percent with Israelis; among Independents, these figures are 30 and 21 percent.

The same poll suggests that a plurality of Americans now believes Israel’s continuing bombing of Gaza is unwarranted, and some 78 percent want an immediate ceasefire, including 75 percent of Republicans. The percentage of respondents who said Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians was 43 percent; those who disagreed were just 28 percent.

More significantly, a plurality – 42 percent – favour decreasing support for Israel; among Republicans this number stands at 24 percent.

A Harvard-Harris poll (PDF) from July reveals perhaps the most concerning trend for Israel’s advocates: 40 percent of young Americans now favour Hamas, not Israel. While this is likely a reflection of general sympathy for the Palestinians, it shows significant cracks in the dominance of Israel’s “Palestinian terrorism” narrative among the American youth.

The same poll suggested that only 27 percent support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a disastrous vote of no confidence that is far removed from the welcome he has enjoyed at the White House and Congress.

How policy may change

As older voters – Israel’s last electoral stronghold – make way for younger voters more sympathetic to the cause of Palestinian rights, the political math will shift towards profound political change. The question is no longer if the US will rethink its special relationship with Israel, but when.

The special relationship with Israel is one of those rare issues for which there is bipartisan support. Changing that would take a long time.

Of course, in the short term, there are some possible changes. If there is a sudden rift between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump – perhaps even on a personal level – the latter will have the polls to justify a move away from Israel. The clear shift in public opinion would provide him with the political cover that he is listening to the American people. However, such a dramatic change is not likely.

What is more likely is that, under pressure from the public, members of Congress will increasingly start shifting on Israel-Palestine. Those who stubbornly refuse may be challenged by younger, more energetic candidates who rebuff funding by pro-Israel organisations like AIPAC.

The shift in Congress, however, would take a lot of time, not least because there will be stiff resistance to it. Pro-Israel lobby groups regard this as a pivotal moment in US-Israeli history. They will employ their vast resources to eliminate any candidate expressing sympathy for the Palestinians or questioning automatic support for Israel.

Furthermore, other issues, such as the economy and various social ills, will continue to dominate political agendas; foreign policy rarely shapes US elections.

The transition will not be bipartisan in the near term. Republican support for Israel is more consistent. The Democratic establishment has been under mounting pressure from its base since Joe Biden’s presidency. As younger members gain political ascendancy – as exemplified by the spectacular victory of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary – the Democratic leadership will be forced to change tack.

With more pro-Palestinian officials elected into office, especially in Congress, the progressive bloc will grow and intensify the pressure to change policy from within.

This process, however, will not be quick enough to immediately improve the situation in Palestine or even stop the looming ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Relief is more likely to come due to international pressure and developments on the ground rather than a change in US policy.

Nevertheless, in the longer term, lessened support for Israel from Congress or even a US president would mean the Israeli government would have to change its overly aggressive posture in the region and rein in its adventurous militarism. It will likely also be forced to make concessions on the Palestinian question. Whether this would be enough to establish a Palestinian state remains to be seen.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Palestinian Ambassador Zomlot says ‘moment stands as defiant act of truth, a refusal to let genocide be the final word’.

The Palestinian flag has been raised outside the premises of what is now Palestine’s embassy to the United Kingdom in London, marking Britain’s historic and long-awaited recognition of a Palestinian state, as Israel’s relentless destruction of Gaza and its military’s crackdown in the occupied West Bank continue.

The flag-raising ceremony on Monday followed a speech by Palestine’s Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, outside what was previously the Palestine Mission to the UK.

“Please join me as we raise the flag of Palestine with its colours representing our nation: Black for our mourning, white for our hope, green for our land and red for the sacrifices of our people,” Zomlot said.

Zomlot said the recognition of a Palestinian state was about “righting historic wrongs and committing together to a future based on freedom, dignity and fundamental human rights”.

He called on people to remember “that this recognition comes at a time of unimaginable pain and suffering as a genocide is being waged against us – a genocide that is still being denied and allowed to continue with impunity”.

He continued: “It comes as our people in Gaza are being starved, bombed, and buried under the rubble of their homes; as our people in the West Bank are being ethnically cleansed, brutalised by daily state-sponsored terrorism, land theft and suffocating oppression.”

Zomlot said the recognition was occurring “as the humanity of Palestinian people is still questioned, our lives still treated as disposable and our basic freedoms still denied”.

“Yet, this moment stands as a defiant act of truth, a refusal to let genocide be the final word; a refusal to accept that occupation is permanent; a refusal to be erased and a refusal to be dehumanised,” he concluded.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the United Kingdom’s decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state, more than 100 years after the Balfour Declaration backed “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”, and 77 years after the creation of Israel in the British Mandate of Palestine.

“In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and of a two-state solution,” Starmer said in a video statement Sunday.

The UK government said in July it would shift its longstanding approach of holding off recognition until a supposed moment of maximum effect – unless Israel stops its genocidal war in Gaza, commits to a long-term sustainable peace process that delivers a two-state solution, and allows more aid into the enclave.

But the catastrophic situation in Gaza has only grown significantly more dire over the past few weeks, as the Israeli military continues to systematically destroy Gaza City to seize it, while continuing to starve and displace the famine-stricken population of the enclave.

Daily raids by Israeli soldiers and attacks by settlers are also ongoing across the occupied West Bank, with Israel advancing plans to annex the Palestinian territory.

Canada, Australia, and Portugal also officially recognised Palestinian statehood two days before the start of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where Palestinian sovereignty after decades of occupation and apartheid by Israel will be in focus.

France and Saudi Arabia are preparing to host a one-day summit at the UN, a day before the start of the UNGA, both of which will be heavily focused on Israel’s war on Gaza and the elusive two-state solution.

At the UN headquarters in New York, world leaders will convene on Monday to revive the long-stalled notion, amid warnings that a contiguous Palestinian state could “vanish altogether” as a result of Israel’s hegemonic moves in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Israel and the US are boycotting the UN-hosted event, but other countries are building on an earlier declaration.

France and Saudi Arabia are preparing to host a one-day summit at the United Nations, a day ahead of the start of the General Assembly, both of which will be heavily focused on Israel’s war on Gaza and the elusive two-state solution.

At the UN headquarters in New York, world leaders will convene Monday to revive the long-stalled notion amid warnings that a contiguous Palestinian state could “vanish altogether” as a result of Israel’s hegemonic moves in both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

France is expected to announce its official recognition of a Palestinian state, and others like Belgium are considering doing the same. It will come one day after the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal all recognised Palestinian statehood in historic moves despite vehement opposition from Israel and the United States.

Israel and its top allies are boycotting the summit, with Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, describing the major multilateral event as a “circus” and sticking to Israel’s common refrain that such moves “reward terrorism”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under heavy domestic political pressure amid the surge in recognitions for a state of Palestine. Israeli media reports his far-right government is considering partial or full annexation of the occupied West Bank in response, but that Netanyahu needs US support and cover, which he will seek while in New York for the UNGA.

The UN has expressed hope that the summit could “inject new momentum into efforts to establish a UN roadmap towards two states”.

Monday’s summit is expected to expand on the “New York Declaration” that was adopted by the General Assembly earlier this month after a July conference also co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia. Israel and the US boycotted those international gatherings as well.

The seven-page declaration that was endorsed outlined “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” towards a two-state solution, while also condemning Hamas and calling it to surrender, disarm, and release all captives held in Gaza. It further called for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza as Israel continues to starve the famine-stricken Palestinian people.

French President Emmanuel Macron will be a leading figure in the summit on Monday, but Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to attend via video link despite being a co-host.

In response to the growing global consensus against its genocidal war in Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank, Israel has been advancing plans to annex parts of the West Bank with the explicit aim of ending the prospects of a future Palestinian state.

Israeli diplomats have also teased possible measures specifically against France and Macron, telling Israeli media that they might close down the French consulate in Jerusalem, possibly expel French diplomats or limit intelligence cooperation.

Netanyahu has also lashed out at Macron, claiming that he is fueling “the anti-Semitic fire” in France.

Qatar, which has been mediating between Israel and Hamas but was bombed by Israel earlier this month, on Monday welcomed the announcements by the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal,

Israel has also only intensified its genocidal war in Gaza in response to the limited international mobilisation, particularly ramping up its ground invasion of Gaza City and deadly air and naval strikes across the besieged enclave.

The Israeli army killed at least 25 members of a Palestinian family in strikes on homes in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood on Sunday while pushing forward with its tanks and claiming all attacks were hitting “terrorist” targets.

Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia have recognised Palestinian statehood, a symbolic response to Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and territorial expansion in the occupied West Bank.

More states, including France and Portugal, are expected to recognise Palestine in the coming days after the announcements on Sunday.

Israel has responded in recent days by doubling down.

Shortly before the announcement, Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the PM had called the act “absurd and simply a reward for terrorism”.

At an event in occupied East Jerusalem on September 15, Netanyahu promised his supporters that there “will be no Palestinian state”.

While this act by the three states – Canada, the UK and Australia – grabbed the world’s attention and many headlines, analysts tell Al Jazeera that it is a small, symbolic step in the ongoing indignity, murder and displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, albeit it one with some weight.

“Recognition matters in this case because close US allies have so far reserved it until the day after a negotiated agreement,” Rida Abu Rass, a Palestinian political scientist, told Al Jazeera.

“It matters because these countries broke ranks. In terms of its impact, Israel finds itself further isolated, and I think that’s meaningful.”

On the same day as recognition was announced, at least 55 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza on Sunday. At least 37 of them were killed in Gaza City, where the Israeli army has unleashed another brutal campaign of violence.

Performative recognition?

Analysts have expressed scepticism that recognition might improve the material conditions of Palestinians currently suffering under Israeli aggression.

Israel has killed at least 65,283 people and wounded 166,575 in its war on Gaza since October 2023; figures that are thought by many experts to be much higher. During the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel, 1,139 people died, and another 200 or so were taken captive.

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military and violent settler attacks have killed more than 1,000 people, as the Israeli government threatens to completely annex the entire territory.

Israel’s war, which both Israeli and international experts and human rights groups call a genocide, is not expected to subside after Sunday’s actions, analysts said.

“As long as it doesn’t come with concrete actions, such as sanctions, arms embargo, and the implementation of a no-fly zone in occupied Palestine with a coalition of forces from the international community to alleviate the suffering of the people, I remain pessimistic,” Chris Osieck, a freelance researcher who has contributed to investigations from Forensic Architecture and Bellingcat on Palestine and Israel, told Al Jazeera.

Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that the move is mainly performative.

“I think they’re under increasing pressure from the international community and also from their local populations to do something,” he said.

“This is, I think, their way of doing something or saying that they did something without actually taking substantive action.”

Still, recognition does mean that the three countries can now enter into treaties with the Palestinian government and can name full ambassadors.

For its part, the UK will recognise Husam Zomlot as the Palestinian ambassador to the UK.

Zomlot said in a statement that the “long-overdue recognition marks an end to Britain’s denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, freedom and independence in our homeland”.

“It marks an irreversible step towards justice, peace and the correction of historic wrongs, including Britain’s colonial legacy, the Balfour Declaration and its role in the dispossession of the Palestinian people,” he said.

Joining international organisations

Much of the world already recognises the State of Palestine.

The recent additions mean that only the United States, a handful of European and Baltic states, South Korea, Japan, and a few other states do not recognise Palestine.

However, even with most of the world on board with Palestinian statehood, the country is still not a full member state of the United Nations.

“[Recognition] brings no new UN privileges, nor does it enable Palestine to become a member of new intergovernmental institutions – not without US support,” Abu Rass said.

“Palestine is currently a ‘non-member observer state’,” he explained. “To become a full member would require the recommendation of the UN Security Council [followed by UN General Assembly vote] – unlikely, to say the least, given US veto powers.”

Still, it could be a first step.

International pressure has intensified on Israel to end its war on Gaza, particularly from Europe. Boycott campaigns are gaining momentum that could see Israel expelled from Eurovision and participation in international sporting competitions.

And the European Union has recently discussed increasing tariffs on some Israeli goods and applying sanctions to some Israeli leaders.

“Recognition has no direct impact on Israel’s actions in Gaza, but it may signal these countries’ willingness to take real measures, which would have a direct impact on Israel’s actions in Gaza, such as two-way arms embargos – meaning, neither selling weapons to Israel, nor buying weapons from Israeli manufacturers,” Abu Rass said.

Leaders ‘saving face’

Analysts told Al Jazeera they believe some Western states, despite discussing Palestinian recognition for months, are taking the step as a punishment for Israel’s aggression on Gaza and the occupied West Bank. This is bolstered by conditional support for statehood expressed by some states.

They say that these leaders are responding to myriad domestic pressures in their own countries, including pressure from pro-Israel groups with ties to establishment parties, at the same time that a growing chorus of constituents is calling for state action and penalties to stop genocide.

“This is happening now because of growing domestic pressures on these centre-left governments,” Abu Rass said.

“Nothing changed, per se [but] what we’re seeing is a slow, cumulative reaction to a low simmer – a growing liberal disaffection – and these steps should be seen as a low-cost way to satisfy constituents’ demands.”

“They’re saving face,” Abu Rass added.

In July, the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would recognise Palestine unless Israel took “substantive steps” to end its war on Gaza.

On Sunday, Starmer reiterated that recognition comes as a response to the political realities in Israel and Palestine today.

“This is intended to further that cause,” Starmer said on Sunday. “It’s done now because I’m particularly concerned that the idea of a two-state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has for many years.”

Australia also made its recognition conditional, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese saying: “Further steps, including the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies, will be considered as the Palestinian Authority makes further progress on commitments to reform.”

A special burden

One hundred and eight years ago, the British government signed the Balfour Declaration, declaring its support for a “national home for the Jewish people” in the land of Palestine.

The United Kingdom has been a historical ally for the state of Israel against the Palestinians, so recognition of the state is also, to some, a recognition of the UK’s complicity in the displacement and dispossession of Palestinians.

“Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution,” UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said during a speech at the UN in July.

Despite the historic symbolism, analysts were not convinced that the future would break from the last 100 years.

“Even if Palestine is recognised by every country in the world, little would change for Palestinians unless the Israeli occupation is dismantled,” Abu Rass said.

“International pressure has a role to play here, but it needs to move further than mere recognition, including sanctions, cutting diplomatic ties, the prosecution of war criminals, and cultural boycotts.”

West Jerusalem, Israel – Two blocks from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in West Jerusalem, where Balfour and Gaza Streets meet behind layers of steel barricades and weekly pro-hostage rallies, a tiny cornerside cafe, oddly unnamed and half-hidden, buzzed with mid-morning chatter.

As phones lit up with news that United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer had announced formal recognition of a Palestinian state, a few patrons looked up, while others shrugged.

“Of course I’m angry,” said Shira Hazan, 55, a shop owner and longtime supporter of Netanyahu’s Likud party. “But what changes? Britain doesn’t bury our soldiers. It’s just politics while Iran is shooting at us.”

A man sitting next to her, like most of those at the cafe, waved the headline off with a flick of the hand, treating it as little more than background noise.

“It’s colonial arrogance, nothing less,” he said, wearing a knitted kippah and barely looking up as be scrolled through his phone.

But the UK’s recognition of Palestine, while not a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote like Israel’s in 1948, could still set off a wave. The decision marks the first time a major Western power that once held the Mandate for Palestine – given to Britain by the UN predecessor, The League of Nations, after the end of World War I to administer what is today the area that includes Gaza, the West Bank and Israel – has formally recognised Palestinian statehood.

Australia and Canada have also issued recognitions in what appeared to be a coordinated move, piling pressure on Israel and placing the three countries at odds with the United States.

The announcement comes shortly before a special summit on the war in Gaza, to be held by the UNGA on Monday. The gathering is part of a diplomatic initiative led by France and Saudi Arabia to revive the two-state solution as the only viable path to ending the decades-long conflict in the region.

Several countries, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Malta, have said they will join the more than 145 UN members that already recognise a Palestinian state.

Political push back

Though anticipated for some time now, the statehood declaration set off an immediate and forceful backlash, with leaders across Israel’s divided political establishment and segments of the public urging swift and sweeping retaliation.

Within hours, far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would push for an immediate annexation of the occupied West Bank, describing the recognition as “a prize for the murderous Nukhba terrorists”, a reference to the Hamas unit that led the October 7, 2023, assault in southern Israel.

He pledged “the complete dismantling of the ‘Palestinian’ Authority” and added that he intended to “submit a proposal for the application of sovereignty at the upcoming cabinet meeting”.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum – a group that campaigns for the safe return of captives taken to Gaza during the 2023 attack on Israel, which has camped out for more than 740 days outside Netanyahu’s home in Tel Aviv – condemned what it called “the unconditional recognition of a Palestinian state while turning a blind eye to the fact that 48 hostages remain in Hamas captivity”.

The outcry extended to the opposition. Benny Gantz, the centrist former defence minister and a leading Netanyahu rival, warned that the move would only harden Hamas’s grip and complicate efforts to free the captives held in Gaza.

“Recognising a Palestinian state after October 7 ultimately only emboldens Hamas, extends the war, distances the prospects of a hostage deal, and sends a clear message of support to Iran and its proxies,” Gantz said. In an English-language post on X directed at Western capitals, he added: “If advancing peace & stability in the Middle East is what you seek, dear Western Leaders – and not buckling to domestic political pressure, then maximum pressure must be applied to Hamas to relinquish power and return the hostages before anything else.”

One of the lone voices calling Starmer’s recognition “a step in the right direction” is left-wing Israeli parliamentarian Ofer Cassif. He told Al Jazeera that the Israeli government treats recognition as “a win-lose game”, when in reality, it could be a win for all sides.

In January 2024, Cassif signed a petition supporting South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, prompting efforts to expel him from the Knesset on the grounds of supporting armed struggle. He was eventually suspended for six months.

“Recognition is a crucial first step toward a just peace, and all other countries that have not yet done so should follow suit,” Cassif told Al Jazeera. “But it must not become an end goal by itself. A complete arms embargo on Israel must follow, until the government of death and destruction ends the genocide in Gaza and dismantles the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories.”

Asked about further UN actions, he said that he would “absolutely” support a peacekeeping force and reactivating anti-apartheid mechanisms used in South Africa, which included weapons and oil embargoes, among other moves.

‘The absolute worst moment’

Noam Achimeir, 29, a PhD candidate at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University who described himself as left-leaning, took issue with the timing of the Palestinian statehood announcements.

“Look, I believe in two states, I’ve marched for peace; I’ve argued with my parents about the occupation for years. But this?” Achimeir said. “This is the absolute worst moment. We’re under missile fire, families are hiding in shelters, and people are still held hostage. When countries make a grand gesture right now, it feels like rewarding the people doing that to us.”

However, he also argued that Israel cannot “control millions of Palestinians forever”.

“Maybe it’s symbolic. But symbols matter,” he told Al Jazeera. “If Britain recognises Palestine, maybe it forces us to admit this conflict won’t just vanish.”

Eliyahu Korenman, 42, a religious Zionist from the illegal settlement of Shilo north of Jerusalem who said he backed Ben-Gvir at the last election, said that London’s decision “tells Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran to keep firing rockets, holding hostages, killing Jews – and the world will reward you”.

“Every Israeli knows Palestine is just another word for surrender,” Korenman said. “If anything, the timing proves we were right all along. The only way forward is to hold on tighter, to build more, to show the world we don’t need their approval. The world doesn’t understand that.”

Yael Ben Eshel, 27, a veterinary apprentice from West Jerusalem who voted for Netanyahu’s Likud, was also dismissive.

“Honestly? Who cares? Britain hasn’t mattered here in decades. They can recognise Palestine, they can recognise the moon, it changes nothing on the ground,” she told Al Jazeera. “We don’t wake up tomorrow and give up land because of what they say.

“It’s for their politics, for the immigrants and the refugees, so forgive me if I don’t get worked up about a British speech,” Ben Eshel added, echoing Netanyahu’s comments last week on Israel’s increased international isolation, which the prime minister blamed in part on Muslim minorities in the West, rather than Israel’s killing of more than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

‘Britain cannot wash its hands of history’

The announcement lands amid a tense military escalation, where the Israeli army recently deployed a third division into Gaza City as part of an operation dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots B”, expanding a months-long offensive in the enclave that has killed hundreds in an area where famine has also been declared.

It also followed a drumbeat of moves by Israel’s hard-right government aimed at forestalling Palestinian statehood. Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich last week unveiled a proposal to annex 82 percent of the occupied West Bank, an idea he framed as a permanent bulwark against a two-state solution.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu signed a controversial settlement expansion agreement this month, reiterating his long-held rejection of a Palestinian state and declaring that “there will be no Palestinian state; this place belongs to us”.

“Britain set the stage. First, it promised Arabs freedom if they fought the Ottomans, then, secretly carved up the region in Sykes-Picot [treaty]. It told Jews one thing in the Balfour Declaration and told Arabs another,” Achimeir said, in criticism of the UK’s policy in the aftermath of World War I.

Daniel Darby, 51, an anti-Zionist from Pardes Hanna, north of Tel Aviv, agreed, stating that London’s recognition of a Palestinian state today is “an empty, symbolic gesture that will not change a thing for the people in the occupied West Bank and for the people who are now suffering horrific genocide in Gaza”.

“The UK, which together with other European imperialistic forces is responsible for the creation of the Zionist state, is now even more fully responsible for the horrific acts taking place in occupied Palestine by supplying reconnaissance, intelligence, and all kinds of military support for Israel,” Darby said.

He added that recognition alone is meaningless without real consequences.

“The UK will not clear its past and its responsibility unless it takes action now, with a full weapons embargo and full sanctions on the state of Israel.”

This article is published in collaboration with Egab.

Canada and Australia have joined the United Kingdom in formally recognising Palestinian statehood as Israel plans to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank and intensifies its war on Gaza.

In a statement on Sunday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the recognition of a Palestinian state and offered “our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel”.

Carney added that the Israeli government was working “methodically to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established”.

“Recognising the State of Palestine, led by the Palestinian Authority, empowers those who seek peaceful coexistence and the end of Hamas. This in no way legitimises terrorism, nor is it any reward for it,” Carney said.

He added that the Palestinian Authority provided “direct commitments” to Canada on reforming its governance; holding general elections next year, which Hamas “can play no part” in; and demilitarising the Palestinian state.

At the same time, Australia announced that it was also recognising Palestinian statehood.

In a statement by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Australia said its recognition alongside Canada’s and the UK’s was part of an international effort for a two-state solution.

Albanese said in a joint statement with Foreign Minister Penny Wong that the decision was meant to revive momentum for a two-state solution that begins with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives held in Gaza.

But the statement reiterated that Hamas must have “no role in Palestine”.

Canada’s and Australia’s recognition of Palestinian statehood was coordinated with the UK, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that his country was formally recognising a Palestinian state shortly after the announcements from Ottawa and Canberra.

Starmer said recognition would “revive hope for peace for the Palestinians and Israelis and a two-state solution”.

However, the announcements from major Western powers – and longtime Israeli allies – indicated that Israel is growing increasingly isolated internationally in light of its war on Gaza, where it has killed more than 65,200 Palestinians.

Israel and the United States have repeatedly said recognising Palestinian statehood in the midst of the war in Gaza would be a “reward” for Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that message in his reaction to Sunday’s recognition of Palestine, saying that it was a “prize” for Hamas.

He added that a Palestinian state “will not happen”.

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, more countries have pledged to recognise Palestine, including France.

While recognition of Palestinian statehood is largely symbolic and has little influence on Israeli actions in the occupied territory, it highlights growing international support for Palestine.

So far, 147 of the 193 UN member states have recognised Palestinian statehood.

But that recognition still does not give Palestine an official seat at the UN, which can only be approved by the Security Council.

The US, a permanent member of the Security Council with veto power, has already rejected calls for recognition at this moment.

But in the US as well as other Western countries, domestic pressure to back the Palestinian cause is strengthening.

Alongside recognition of Palestinian statehood, a number of Western states have imposed sanctions on Israel or are threatening to do so.

And in the past few weeks, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and others have pledged to boycott the European Song Contest if Israel is allowed to participate in next year’s event.

The international chorus against Israel has been acknowledged by Netanyahu, who said last week that his country was “in a sort of isolation” and would need to adapt its economy accordingly.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the United Kingdom’s formal recognition of Palestinian statehood, joining Canada and Australia in a move aimed at reviving the push for a two-state solution. The US and Israel have criticised the decision.

Mediterranean Sea – Everyone gathered on the top deck of a Global Sumud Flotilla vessel loaded with humanitarian supplies for Gaza and volunteers determined to deliver it.

Security protocols in case of an emergency were reviewed and put into action: life vests, head counts and designated muster points.

They were training for scenarios that could occur on any vessel – fire, someone falling overboard, collision.

But this training was different because there was another scenario.

The volunteers were instructed on how to raise their hands in the event that Israeli soldiers intercepted the vessel, boarded it and detained them. The focus is on acting in a nonviolent way, in accordance with their mission.

The flotilla was approaching the “yellow zone” after it departed from Sicily, Italy – the zone in international waters between Italy and Cyprus where Israeli attacks are possible – and it was time to practise how to act if an attack occurred.

‘Old propaganda strategy’

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently described the humanitarian flotilla, which is sailing to break the Israeli siege on the people of Gaza, as a “jihadi flotilla” and claimed it has ties to Hamas.

The so-called “Flotilla to Gaza” is openly backed by jihadi Hamas.

In Hamas’s own words: “We call for mobilizing all means to support the Global Steadfastness Flotilla heading to Gaza.”

This is not humanitarian. This is a jihadist initiative serving the terror group’s agenda. pic.twitter.com/vciWdnTswC

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) September 18, 2025

Earlier this month, as the flotilla set sail from Spain, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that he wanted to declare the humanitarian activists “terrorists” and detain them accordingly.

Flotilla steering committee member Saif Abukeshek, speaking to journalists online on Saturday, said such allegations are “psychological warfare” and added: “The propaganda is an old strategy.”

In the training, a coordinator tells the gathered group: “We have to decide collectively whether we will react or whether someone should intervene if soldiers begin to beat one of us.”

The question was met with silence but could not be avoided. Holding a bullhorn, the coordinator took the initiative.

“If I am dragged or beaten, I don’t want any of you to react or tell the soldiers to stop. Please respect my decision.”

The bullhorn was passed around. One by one, the volunteers repeated the words. By the third volunteer, the phrase had been reduced to two words: “the same”. All the volunteers echoed it.

The strategy was conceived to prevent further violence. Any reaction – even asking Israeli soldiers to stop – could provoke them to more violence.

One volunteer summed it up: “If you react or speak up while being beaten, you will not only put your own safety at risk but also that of the others – and you will break the will of the group.”

Another told Al Jazeera: “We know why we are here and the risks we have taken.”

Mental and physical pressures

The delays and challenges the flotilla has faced have taken a toll on its organisers and volunteers alike.

Drone attacks while at port in Tunisia, technical difficulties faced by boats ill-suited to the high seas and the general difficulties inherent in organising an underfunded civilian initiative to sail to Gaza have put pressure on everyone.

Every person on board also has to do a night watch, scanning the skies all night for more drone attacks while their companions rest.

When asked what keeps them going, each of them cites the urge to act to help the people of Gaza, who are suffering bombardments, starvation and loss as Israel wages war on them.

They know they are sailing into risky waters because Israel has intercepted all past flotillas, even killing 10 people on board the Mavi Marmara a decade ago.

The boats had set out for Sicily from Tunisia on Tuesday with a reduced number of people on board after hard decisions were made.

There were more people wanting to be on a flotilla boat than there was capacity on the vessels, especially as some boats failed technical inspections – the organisers worrying about their ability to cope with the unpredictable nature of the Mediterranean.

Lists were read in Bizerte, Tunisia. Crews were reshuffled among the boats, and tears flowed as volunteers who had forged strong emotional ties said their goodbyes.

Their part on board the mission was over for now, but their support for the flotilla bound for Gaza would continue on land.

Some talked to the coordinators to try to get their spots back. Others waited with their colleagues on the boats, helping out until they had to return to a hotel to await their flights back home.

“Please put this [Palestinian] flag somewhere on the boat. It has been in my friend’s window for years,” said Marcin, a Polish volunteer living in Norway who was among those cut from the crew list.

Eventually, everyone boarded their assigned ships and met their crews. All hands were on deck to clean and prepare the vessels for the next leg of the journey to Italy. Some of the volunteers have sailing experience, and others with no previous sailing experience learned quickly to help out.

After a few days in Italy, the boats have set out again, sailing through the yellow zone, getting ever closer to the red zone, where the danger multiplies 100 nautical miles (185km) from the Gaza shore.

And the drills continue.

Displaced Gaza City residents recount being chased by Israeli quadcopters after being forced to flee their shelters.

Brazil now joins Spain, Ireland, Mexico, Turkiye and others who have signed on to the case.

Brazil has formally joined the case launched by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that alleges Israel is committing “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.

The Hague court confirmed in a statement on Friday that Brazil invoked Article 63 of the ICJ statute, filing a declaration of intervention in the case.

The article gives any United Nations member state the right to intervene in a case when the interpretation of a treaty to which it is a party is in question. Brazil used the article to formally recognize that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention of 1948.

South Africa and Israel are now invited to “furnish written observations on the declaration of intervention”, the World Court said.

The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in July it intended to join the case, citing “impunity” that undermined international law as it denounced Israeli aggression in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Brazil now joins Spain, Ireland, Mexico, Turkiye and others who have intervened in favor of South Africa to join the case against Israel over the genocidal war, which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023.

COMMUNIQUÉ : le Brésil, se référant à l’article 63 du Statut de la #CIJ, a déposé une déclaration d’intervention en l’affaire #AfriqueduSud c. #Israël.

Lien vers le communiqué : https://t.co/7UW0uUrP8o pic.twitter.com/wGoQwUNRqC

— CIJ_ICJ (@CIJ_ICJ) September 19, 2025

The ICJ’s final verdict could still take several years to come, but the court issued an interim order in January 2024 that obliged Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza and allow for unimpeded access to humanitarian aid.

The court also ruled that Israel’s presence in occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful, and that its policies amount to annexation .

Ignoring those rulings, as well as mounting international condemnation of its conduct, Israel has since then destroyed far more of Gaza and West Bank, and is quickly advancing with plans to sixteen much of the Palestinian territory.

The United States and the European allies of Israel continue to arm and fund Israel, even as credible international bodies are increasingly recognizing that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza .

Washington has also rejected the merits of the ICJ case, and US legislators have directed threats and criticism against South Africa. The US has also issued unprecedented sanctions of members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), who have issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

At least four children were killed in the latest Israeli air strike on a school which was being used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians in Gaza. Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili shows us the aftermath of the strike.

The Irish rap group has been denied entry for their alleged support for Hamas and Hezbollah, accusations the group denies.

Irish band Kneecap has slammed the Canadian government for banning the rap trio from entering the country over accusations that it was endorsing political violence and terrorism by supporting groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Kneecap has emerged as one of the most controversial groups in the music business, with gigs cancelled and the rappers barred from other countries over their strident pro-Palestinian stance.

Vince Gasparro, a Liberal member of the Canadian parliament and parliamentary secretary for combating crime, on Friday said Kneecap members were deemed ineligible for entry because of actions and statements that violate Canadian law.

Kneecap has “publicly displayed support for terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas” that goes beyond artistic expression, said Gasparro in a video on social media.

“Canada stands firmly against hate speech, incitement to violence and the glorification of terrorism. Political debate and free speech are vital to our democracy, but open endorsements of terrorist groups are not free speech,” he said.

Canada designated both Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations in 2002.

In response, Kneecap said Gasparro’s comments are “wholly untrue and deeply malicious” and threatened to take legal action against him.

“We will be relentless in defending ourselves against baseless accusations to silence our opposition to a genocide being committed by Israel,” it said in a social media post. “There is no legal basis for his actions, no member of Kneecap has ever been convicted of a crime in any country.”

Kneecap was scheduled to perform in Toronto and Vancouver next month.

A message to Vince Gasparro and our many fans across Canada. 👇 https://t.co/66avCapPgn pic.twitter.com/ySsrgpMs6J

— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) September 19, 2025

Canada’s immigration ministry declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy reasons.

The Canada-based advocacy organisation Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said the government’s decision was a stand against “incitement, hate and radicalisation”, while Jewish organisation B’nai Brith called it a “victory”.

Kneecap has faced criticism for political statements seeming to glorify Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanese group Hezbollah, with festivals like Germany’s Hurricane and Southside dropping them from their lineups this past summer.

In May, group member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who was initially charged under the Anglicised name Liam O’Hanna, and who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was charged with a terrorism offence in the United Kingdom for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a performance in London in November 2024. He denies the offence, saying the flag was thrown on stage during the group’s performance.

Kneecap has accused critics of trying to silence the band because of its support for the Palestinian cause throughout Israel’s war in Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 people and reduced much of the enclave to rubble since it began in October 2023. They say they do not support Hezbollah and Hamas, nor condone violence.

In July, Hungary slapped a three-year ban on the Belfast-based group, who had been due to perform at the Sziget Festival in Budapest in August.

Kneecap performed in April at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, where they accused Israel – enabled by the US government – of committing genocide against the Palestinians. That prompted calls for the rappers’ US visas to be revoked, and several Kneecap gigs have since been cancelled as a result.

Israeli forces continue to carry out attacks on Gaza’s main urban centre, with two children killed in a strike on tent.

Nine other countries, including France and the UK, also plan to recognise Palestinian statehood next week.

Portugal has joined Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom in announcing plans to recognise a Palestinian state.

In a statement on Friday, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the recognition will take place on Sunday, a day before a high-level conference on Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Portugal will recognise the State of Palestine,” the ministry wrote in a statement on its website.

“The Official Declaration of Recognition will take place on Sunday, September 21st, before next week’s High-Level Conference,” the statement added.

According to Portugal’s Correio da Manha newspaper, the country’s centre-right Prime Minister Luis Montenegro consulted with the president and parliament before finalising the decision.

It marked the end of nearly 15 years of debate in the Western European country’s parliament, Correio da Manha reported, after the proposal was first put forward by the country’s Left Bloc political party in 2011.

Global outcry

Portugal’s announcement comes days after a landmark UN inquiry found that Israel’s war on Gaza amounts to a genocide.

At least 65,141 people have been killed and 165,925 wounded since Israel’s onslaught began in October 2023. Many thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble.

The Portuguese government first announced its intentions on recognising Palestine as a state in July, citing “extremely worrying evolution of the conflict”, as well as the humanitarian crisis and Israel’s repeated threats to annex Palestinian land.

Earlier on Friday, an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron said that Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and San Marino plan to recognise the State of Palestine alongside France at the high-level meeting it is co-organising with Saudi Arabia in New York on Monday.

Canada and the United Kingdom have also said they intend to do the same.

They will join some 147 countries, representing 75 percent of UN members, that had already recognised Palestinian statehood as of April this year.

Portugal was also among 145 countries which voted on Friday to create an option for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address the UNGA in New York next week by video, after the United States denied him a visa.

Nauru, Palau, Paraguay, as well as Israel and the US, were the five countries that voted no, while six countries abstained.

Israel and the US have strongly criticised countries moving to recognise Palestine, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing France’s announcement as a “reckless decision” that “only serves Hamas propaganda”.

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned last year that a new illegal Israeli settlement would be established in the occupied West Bank for every country that recognises Palestine.

Luxembourg considers sanctions

Earlier this week, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel told a parliamentary commission that their country intends to recognise Palestinian statehood at the UNGA.

Bettel also said that he would propose a bill to parliament so that Luxembourg could take further measures, such as sanctions, according to the country’s broadcaster RTL Letzebuerg.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, has implored countries to take more measures to end Israel’s war on Gaza, including by imposing sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel.

Under its 1947 plan to partition Palestine, the UNGA said it would grant 45 percent of the land to an Arab state.

At the time, the UNGA had just 57 member states, with dozens of countries under colonial rule unable to vote.