More countries recognize Palestinian state as Israel-Hamas war rages on
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
More countries have officially recognized a Palestinian state, as the Israel-Hamas war drags on and the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to rise.
Why it matters: These countries have aligned with the growing international support for Palestinian people's rights — contrasting with the positions of the U.S. and other Western nations.
State of play: Armenia became the most recent country to recognize Palestine as a state on Friday.
- "Our position has consistently been in favor of a peaceful and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue," Armenia's ministry of foreign affairs said on X.
- Slovenia announced the same earlier this month.
- Norway, Ireland and Spain recognized a Palestinian state as of May 28.
Between the lines: Israel recalled its ambassadors from Ireland and Norway following the announcement.
- Fourteen countries total have recognized a Palestinian state in the past decade — with nine of those announced since April.
Context: Irish support for Palestinian rights has been among the highest in Europe.
- Activists and leaders, including Ireland's Prime Minister Simon Harris, have likened Ireland's experience with English colonization to Palestinian-Israeli relations.
- "Permanent peace can only be secured upon the basis of the free will of a free people," Harris said at a news conference Wednesday.
Zoom out: Support for a Palestinian state from member countries of the Caribbean Community, a political and economic union, ramped up earlier this year with announcements from Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and the Bahamas.
- The Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acknowledging its own 1973 independence, said it "supports the legal right of the Palestinian people of self-determination 'to freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.'"
- 140 of the UN's 193 member states submitted a letter to the General Assembly Security Council last month in support of admitting the Palestinian state to the UN.
The big picture: 149 countries and one disputed territory, the western Sahara, now recognize a Palestinian state.
- U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken asked the State Department earlier this year to present policy options on possible U.S. recognition of a Palestinian state.
Yes, but: In April, the U.S. voted against a UN Security Council resolution to accept Palestine as a full member.
- Of the 15-member council, 12 countries l voted in favor of the resolution and two abstained.
- The U.S. representative at the meeting said the U.S. isn't against a Palestinian state, but that the terms of establishing one should come via negotiations with Israel.
The other side: Israeli leaders have been staunchly opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state, even before the Oct. 7 attack.
- "The intention of several European countries to recognize a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Wednesday after the announcement from Spain, Ireland and Norway.
What's next: The European countries' recognition of Palestine goes into effect on May 28.
Go deeper: Blinken called "war criminal" by protesters during hearing
Editor's note: This story has been updated with June announcements from Armenia and Slovenia.
