Portugal to officially recognise State of Palestine Sunday: ministry

Lisbon: Portugal will officially recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday, Lisbon’s foreign ministry said on Friday, ahead of a UN General Assembly where around 10 other countries are set to follow suit.

Britain, Canada and France are among the other Western nations planning to give a Palestinian state recognition at the assembly, which comes as Israel’s campaign in the Gaza Strip grinds on.

Lisbon had already announced in July that it intended to do so given the “extremely worrying evolution of the conflict”, as well as the humanitarian crisis and Israel’s repeated threats to annex Palestinian land.

“The ministry of foreign affairs confirms that Portugal will recognise the State of Palestine… the official declaration of recognition will be made on Sunday, September 21,” a statement on the ministry’s website said.

Israel has fiercely criticised plans for Palestinian recognition, arguing that it rewards Hamas for its October 7, 2023 attack.

Yet the spiralling humanitarian crisis in the coastal strip, where the United Nations has warned of famine in Gaza City, has convinced even some of Israel’s longtime allies to recognise a Palestinian state.

Earlier Friday, an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron said Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and San Marino also plan to recognise the State of Palestine.

Beginning on Monday, next week’s UN General Assembly in New York is set to be devoted to the question of the so-called two state solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Around three-quarters of the 193 members of United Nations already recognise the State of Palestine.