Australia says it will recognise Palestinian state, joining France, UK and Canada

Australia will recognise a Palestinian state in September, joining France, Britain and Canada, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced. 

Albanese told reporters on Monday that Australia’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood would be formalised at the United Nations General Assembly in September. 

He said that it was “predicated on commitments” that Australia had received from the Palestinian Authority. 

Those include demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip, no role for Hamas in a future Palestinian government, and the holding of elections in the state of Palestine. 

“A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza,” Albanese said.

“The situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world's worst fears… The Israeli government continues to defy international law and deny sufficient aid, food and water to desperate people, including children."

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, criticised Australia and other states for moving to recognise Palestine. 

“To have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit hole ... this canard, is disappointing and I think it’s actually shameful,” Netanyahu said on Sunday. 

"They know what they would do if, right next to Melbourne or right next to Sydney, you had this horrific attack. I think you would do at least what we're doing."

Albanese spoke with Mahmoud Abbas, the PA president, last week, who he said had agreed to conditions with leaders in the West in preparation for recognition of a state.

“This is an opportunity to deliver self-determination for the people of Palestine in a way [that] isolates Hamas, disarms it and drives it out of the region once and for all,” Albanese said.

He also said that Hamas did not support a two-state solution. 

While Hamas does not recognise Israel, its 2017 charter advocates for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders in the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem as its capital. 

Under international law, the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem have been occupied by Israel since 1967, as well as Syria's Golan Heights.  

France, Britain and Canada all made announcements similar to Australia last month.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would only formally recognise a Palestinian state if Israel failed to take various "substantive steps", including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.

New Zealand may become the next state to recognise Palestine. Its Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Monday that his government “will carefully weigh up its position” before making a formal decision in September.

“New Zealand has been clear for some time that our recognition of a Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if,” Peters said.

Around 150 UN member states now recognise a Palestinian state. 

Spain, Ireland, Norway and Slovenia all announced their recognition of a Palestinian state last year.