Britain, Canada and Australia on Sunday formally recognised a Palestinian state in a coordinated diplomatic move aimed at reviving prospects for a two-state solution, despite strong opposition from Israel and the United States.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the UK was extending recognition, describing the decision as a “historic moment” intended to “revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis.”
His announcement followed similar statements from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The move is largely symbolic but significant, given the UK’s historic role in the Middle East. Britain was the governing power of Palestine after World War I and author of the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which supported the creation of a Jewish homeland while pledging not to prejudice Palestinian rights.
Starmer said Hamas would have no role in any future governance and must release Israeli hostages still held from the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Canada said its recognition was accompanied by “direct commitments” from the Palestinian Authority to reform governance, hold elections in 2026, and exclude Hamas from power.
“This in no way legitimises terrorism, nor is it any reward for it,” Carney said. Australia echoed that position, stressing that Hamas must play no role in the Palestinian state.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin welcomed the announcements, calling them “an irreversible step that preserves the two-state solution and brings us closer to sovereignty and independence.”
Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian mission in London, said the recognition corrected a “colonial-era wrong” dating back to 1917.
More than 140 UN member states already recognise Palestine, and further declarations are expected at this week’s UN General Assembly, including from France and Saudi Arabia.
Israel strongly rejected the move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted there will “never” be a Palestinian state, while officials dismissed the recognitions as irrelevant gestures that change nothing on the ground.
US President Donald Trump, who visited the UK days earlier, said he “disagreed” with the decision. Washington has argued that recognition rewards Hamas and undermines negotiations.
Despite criticism, UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said recognition was needed to keep the two-state option alive amid what he described as a “historical injustice.”
He noted that Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and the devastation of Gaza had made peace harder to achieve.
Israel has faced increasing diplomatic isolation over its nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza. A UN Commission of Inquiry last week concluded Israel has committed genocide in Gaza — an allegation Israel denies.
“This is not symbolic,” Shahin said. “It is practical, tangible, and irreversible. Today in Gaza, people are systematically murdered. Recognition is a step to hold Israel accountable and to protect the Palestinian people.”