Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on July 31 that the country plans to recognize the state of Palestine at a United Nations General Assembly meeting in September. The decision comes amid widespread hunger in Gaza, adding to pressure on Israel from close allies.
Mr. Carney's statement follows the announcement by France last week and the UK a day earlier that the two countries would also recognize the state of Palestine if the conflict in Gaza did not end.
Canada said the decision was partly based on the Palestinian government's commitment that it is reforming the governance apparatus and is ready to hold a general election in 2026, with Hamas not allowed to participate.
The situation in Gaza has become increasingly serious as restrictions from Israel have hampered food aid and necessities. Hamas's media office said at least 50 Palestinians were killed within 3 hours while trying to approach a UN aid vehicle in northern Gaza. The Gaza Ministry of Health also reported 7 more deaths due to hunger, including a 2-year-old girl.
Both Israel and the US have rejected Mr. Carney's statements. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the move a reward to Hamas and said the move was detrimental to efforts to reach a ceasefire and a hostage return deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously strongly criticized the similar announcement from the UK and France. A White House official said President Donald Trump viewed recognizing the Palestinian state as a wrongdoing because "he was rewarding Hamas".
US special representative Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Israel to discuss the situation in Gaza. Meanwhile, Mr. Macron said that recognizing the Palestinian state would "revive the prospect of peace" in the region.
Although Palestine has been recognized as an expert at the United Nations since 2012 and is now recognized by more than 3/4 of its 193 member states, the Western allies' recent move marks a remarkable change in their perception.
However, according to Donald Panikoff, former deputy director of US national intelligence for the Middle East, Canada's move is "iconic" and could undermine relations with Israel. In Israel, some government members have called for the division of territories in Gaza to increase pressure on Hamas, threatening the prospects of a Palestinian state.
