UK, Canada, Australia formally recognise Palestine as independent state

Keir Starmer, prime minister of the United Kingdom, has announced the country’s recognition of Palestine as a state.

In a video shared on X, Starmer said the UK has joined over 150 countries that recognise the Palestinian state, adding that the move is “a pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people that there can be a better future”.

“I know the strength of feeling that this conflict provokes,” he said.

“We have seen it on our streets, in our schools and conversations we have had with friends and family. It has created division, some have used it to stoke hatred and fear but that solves nothing.

“Not only must we reject hate, we must redouble our efforts to combat hatred in all its forms.”

Starmer said he has met British families of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and sees “the torture they endure each and every day and pain that strikes deep in the hearts” of people in Israel and the UK.

“Our call for a genuine two-state solution is the exact opposite of [Hamas’s] hateful vision,” he said.

“This solution is not a reward for Hamas because it means Hamas can have no future, no role in government, no role in security. We have already prescribed and sanctioned Hamas and we will go further.”

The announcement follows that of Canada and Australia on Sunday.

In a statement on X, Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, said his country recognises the State of Palestine and “offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel”.

Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, declared recognition in a formal statement, effective September 21.

“Effective today, Sunday the 21st of September 2025, the Commonwealth of Australia formally recognises the independent and sovereign State of Palestine,” the statement reads.

“In doing so, Australia recognises the legitimate and long held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own.”

The seemingly coordinated recognition is aimed at building renewed momentum for a two-state solution in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages from the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas.

Reacting to the decisions, Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, Palestinian foreign minister, described them as a significant step forward.

“It is a move bringing us closer to sovereignty and independence. It might not end the war tomorrow, but it’s a move forward, which we need to build on and amplify,” she said.

Meanwhile, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s security minister, said UK, Canada and Australia’s decisions on Sunday were nothing but a “reward for jihadist Hamas – emboldened by its Muslim Brotherhood affiliated in the UK”.

“Hamas leaders themselves openly admit: this recognition is a direct outcome, the ‘fruit’ for the 7 October massacre,” he said. (The Cable)