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Australia is set to acknowledge a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, following similar actions taken by the UK, France, and Canada, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced.
Albanese said that Australia obtained assurances from the Palestinian Authority (PA) to demilitarise, conduct general elections, and maintain recognition of Israel’s right to exist.
“Until Israeli and Palestinian statehood is permanent, peace can only be temporary,” he told reporters.
“Australia will recognise the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own.”
Israel, facing mounting pressure to halt the conflict in Gaza, has claimed that recognising a Palestinian state “rewards terrorism.”
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, five individuals have died due to starvation and malnutrition in Gaza since Saturday, with the cumulative death toll reaching 217. The ministry reported that over 61,000 individuals have lost their lives as a result of Israel’s military actions since 2023.
Israel began its offensive in retaliation for the Hamas-led assault on October 7 of that year, which resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 abductions.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs certain regions of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, previously indicated that statehood recognition reflects increasing support for its people’s right to self-determination.
Albanese noted that the decision followed commitments from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that Hamas would not be involved in any forthcoming state. This decision also comes after discussions with leaders from the UK, France, New Zealand, and Japan in the past two weeks, according to Albanese.
“There is a moment of opportunity here, and Australia will work with the international community to seize it,” he said.
The US has expressed that it will not follow this lead, arguing that recognising a Palestinian state would be tantamount to rewarding Hamas. During the weekend, US Vice-President JD Vance reaffirmed that the US has no intentions of acknowledging a Palestinian state, citing the absence of a functional government.
At a press conference on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised nations planning to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Recently, Israel has faced backlash concerning its strategy to seize control of Gaza City, with UN diplomats denouncing the plan, which Netanyahu claims is the “best way” to conclude the conflict.
Last year, Spain, Ireland, and Norway officially recognised Palestine as a state, hoping it would promote a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Currently, 147 of the UN’s 193 member states recognise the state of Palestine.
At the UN, Palestine holds the status of a “permanent observer state,” which allows participation in discussions but excludes voting rights.
