Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin stated that countries recognising a Palestinian state this week were taking an irreversible step that safeguarded the two-state solution and brought Palestinian independence and sovereignty closer.
The UK, Canada, and Australia formally recognised a Palestinian state on Sunday, joining other nations in an effort to revive momentum for a two-state solution—a move that has drawn criticism from Israel and the United States.
"Now is the time. Tomorrow marks a historic moment that we need to build upon. This is not the end," Shahin told reporters in Ramallah. "It is a step bringing us closer to sovereignty and independence. It may not end the conflict immediately, but it is progress, which must be reinforced and amplified," she added, referring to Israel’s nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza.
Netanyahu: "There Will Never Be a Palestinian State"
Israel has sharply condemned the decision, with some ministers dismissing it as inconsequential, arguing it does not alter the realities on the ground. Others insist that Palestinian statehood can only be achieved through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed this month that a Palestinian state will never come into existence.
Shahin highlighted Israel’s unwillingness to negotiate, citing Netanyahu’s recent remarks at a ceremony for a new settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which would sever northern Palestinian communities from those in the south.
"This recognition is far from symbolic. It is a practical, tangible, and irreversible step that countries committed to preserving the two-state solution must take," she said.
France and Saudi Arabia have spearheaded efforts to revive momentum for the two-state solution, with several countries expected to recognise a Palestinian state at this week’s United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, dismissed these efforts as a stunt and counterproductive.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials have hardened their positions on settlement expansion and West Bank annexation as international support for Palestinian statehood grows.
Israel faces increasing diplomatic isolation this year, with most of its closest allies—apart from the United States—condemning its assaults on Gaza. Some have even sanctioned Israeli ministers for inciting violence against Palestinians.
Shahin stressed that political pressure on Israel should be supplemented with economic measures to "hold Israel accountable and protect the Palestinian people."
"Today, Gaza burns. Today, Gaza is destroyed. Today, people in Gaza are being systematically murdered," she said, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation that Israel denies.
A United Nations Commission of Inquiry last week concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, a finding echoed by a scholars’ association, Amnesty International, and two leading human rights organisations in Israel.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar wi...
Spanish authorities are preparing a new site in Ceuta to accommodate hundreds of migrants who remain on the str...
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will visit Russia then Ukraine over the weekend, Russian state news agency TASS has reported, citing an unnamed source. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also said American envoys will visit the capitals of both countries.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 4th of September, covering the latest developments.
A Chinese national was pulled alive from a tunnel in Nepal on Saturday, authorities said, 10 days after a wall of ice, rock and mud tore through a Himalayan valley, killing more than 1,300 people and leaving more than 5,600 missing.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Spanish authorities are preparing a new site in Ceuta to accommodate hundreds of migrants who remain on the streets following large-scale arrivals in July, local media reported Saturday.
At least two people were killed and dozens injured on Friday after an explosion at a military barracks in the Bolivian municipality of Viacha, about 30 km (20 miles) from La Paz, Defence Minister Ernesto Justiniano said.
The resolution, sponsored by African countries and led by Togo, passed by 164 votes to one, with six abstentions. The United States was the only country to vote against it.
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