Ireland, Norway, Spain recognise Palestine as state
Despite the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, Ireland, Norway, and Spain have declared their determination to formally recognise Palestine as a state. As a result of the decision, the Jewish state has recalled its ambassadors to Ireland and Norway effective immediately.
On Wednesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated, “I’m sending a clear and unequivocal message to Ireland and Norway: Israel will not remain silent in the face of those undermining its sovereignty and endangering its security.”
He also warned Spain, whose Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced today that his country will recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, that “a similar step will be taken against it”.
“The Irish-Norwegian folly does not deter us; we are determined to achieve our goals: restoring security to our citizens, dismantling Hamas, and bringing the hostages home. There are no more just causes than these,” Katz added.
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The latest revelation comes as the conflict in Gaza has continued unabated, resulting in a humanitarian disaster in the Hamas-held enclave, with thousands killed or injured and millions homeless and on the verge of hunger.
Other European Union members also plan to make recognition
Slovenia and Malta, both members of the European Union, have signaled in recent weeks that they intend to recognize the agreement, claiming that a two-state solution is required for long-term stability in the region.
A total of 143 out of 193 UN member states have recognized a Palestinian state. The United Kingdom and the United States are among the countries that do not officially recognize a Palestinian state.
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Israel does not acknowledge Palestinian statehood, and the present administration led by Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. It claims that such a state would pose a threat to Israel’s existence.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu disputed starving Palestinians in Gaza as a kind of warfare, calling the court’s judgment a “pack of lies”. “Military action that we take against Hamas is in fact the way to get these hostages because without military pressure, basically, without, you know, squeezing them, Hamas is not going to give up anything,” he stated to CNN.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon stated in a recent statement that none of the aid unloaded from the US-built temporary pier off Gaza’s coast has been transferred to the larger Palestinian population, as Washington collaborates with the UN and Israel to determine safe delivery routes, CNN reported.
