On September 21, British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy affirmed that recognizing the State of Palestine would not be able to create an agency overnight, but stressed that this move must be part of a broader peace process.
In an interview, Lammy said: " Any recognition decision is to maintain hope for a two-state solution," and confirmed that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would announce a decision on the issue later on 21 September (local time).
However, the Deputy Prime Minister still has to admit that the prospect of the two countries coexisting in parallel and at peace with each other between Israel and Palestine is still far away.
Regarding the Gaza situation, Lammy said the chance of reaching a ceasefire agreement was almost "broken", saying it was "very unlikely to see a ceasefire in the next few weeks".
Meanwhile, Portugal also announced that it would officially recognize the State of Palestine on September 21.
Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel during his visit to the UK a few days ago revealed the decision but did not announce a specific time, while the Portuguese Foreign Ministry confirmed an official statement would be made on the same day.
Several other countries are also expected to recognize Palestine in September, including France, Belgium, Canada, Malta and Australia.
Previously, in May 2024, Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized Palestine, creating a new wave of support for the Palestinian state in Europe.
The move from London and Lisbon comes as Israel faces increasing diplomatic pressure and international criticism of its military campaign in Gaza, which has dragged on for months and caused heavy casualties for civilians.
