Spain, Ireland and Norway are set to officially recognise a Palestinian state on Tuesday, despite Israel’s disapproval.
The move is aimed at accelerating peace efforts between Israelis and Palestinians.
“This landmark decision is driven by a singular goal: to facilitate peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” remarked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a televised statement preceding a cabinet session set to ratify the decision.
Spain will acknowledge a unified Palestinian state, encompassing both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, governed by the Palestinian National Authority with East Jerusalem designated as its capital, he affirmed.
The Palestinian Authority, operating under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank, has embraced the move.
Sanchez affirmed that Madrid would only acknowledge alterations to pre-1967 borders if mutually agreed upon by both sides.
“It’s the sole pathway to progress towards the universally acknowledged solution for a peaceful future—establishing a Palestinian state coexisting peacefully and securely alongside the Israeli state,” he emphasized.
Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs announced plans to upgrade its representative office in Ramallah to an embassy and elevate the status of the Palestinian mission in Ireland to an embassy as well.
The three countries hope this decision will encourage other European Union nations to follow suit.
Israel has strongly criticised the move, arguing that it bolsters Hamas, the group responsible for the October 7 attack on Israel from Gaza.
“Sanchez, by recognising a Palestinian state, you are complicit in incitement to genocide against the Jewish people and in war crimes,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on X on Tuesday.
The Palestinian flag was flying outside the Irish parliament as the government prepared to approve the recognition in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning.
“The people of Ireland understand that a two-state solution is the only path to peace and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Prime Minister Simon Harris told journalists ahead of the cabinet meeting.
Among the 27-member European Union, several countries have already recognising a Palestinian state, including Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria. Malta and Slovenia are considering following suit.
Meanwhile, Britain and Australia are contemplating recognition, but France and Germany have expressed reservations, favouring a two-state solution through dialogue.
The ongoing conflict, sparked by Hamas militants breaching Israel’s southern border on Oct. 7, has led to over 36,000 Palestinian casualties, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry.
Israel claims the initial assault, its deadliest in 75 years, resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages.
In response to the recognition efforts, Israel withdrew its ambassadors from Madrid, Oslo, and Dublin, and summoned the ambassadors of these countries to view footage of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas.
Additionally, Israel blocked Spain from offering consular services to Palestinians in the West Bank, accusing Spain of aiding Hamas. In retaliation, Spain condemned the Gaza conflict as a “real genocide.”
Spain’s initiative to rally EU support for the International Court of Justice’s recent order to cease Israel’s military operations in Rafah indicates a diplomatic escalation.
However, Prime Minister Sanchez, on Tuesday, sought to mitigate tensions by condemning Hamas and advocating for hostage release, emphasising Spain’s pursuit of amicable relations with all parties involved.
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