Britain, Portugal Expected to Recognize Palestinian State Ahead of UN Gathering
London and Lisbon join a growing wave of nations set to recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN, defying Israeli warnings and intensifying debate over the two-state solution.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Britain and Portugal are on Sunday expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state, in a coordinated move ahead of a pivotal week at the United Nations General Assembly, where a wave of countries are set to make similar declarations in an effort to increase pressure on Israel over the war in Gaza.
The recognition drive reflects a significant policy shift among several of Israel’s long-standing allies, many of whom have grown increasingly critical as Israel intensifies its offensive in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’s unprecedented Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
World leaders will converge in New York this week for the UN General Assembly’s annual debate, where the long-stalled two-state solution is set to dominate discussions.
Around 10 nations are expected to recognize a Palestinian state in the coming days, with UK media, including the BBC, reporting that Prime Minister Keir Starmer would announce London’s policy change on Sunday—despite fierce objections from Israel.
Starmer had warned in July that Britain would move toward recognition if Israel failed to take “substantive steps” toward a ceasefire with Hamas by the time of the UN meeting.
He argued that recognition would contribute to a “proper peace process” and deliver maximum diplomatic impact for the two-state framework.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu swiftly denounced the move, accusing Starmer of rewarding “monstrous terrorism” and appeasing “jihadist ideology.”
Meanwhile, Portugal’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday that Lisbon would also formalize recognition on Sunday, following up on an earlier July pledge in which it cited the “extremely worrying evolution of the conflict.”
Since then, the war has escalated sharply: Israel has intensified its bombardments, a UN-backed hunger monitor has declared famine in parts of Gaza, and the Israeli military has vowed to deploy “unprecedented force” in its push to capture Gaza City.
France and Canada are also among the Western nations preparing to extend recognition of Palestinian statehood during this week’s UN session, signaling growing momentum for the initiative.
Israel, however, has forcefully opposed these moves, with reports suggesting it could respond by accelerating settlement expansion or even annexing parts of the West Bank.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told AFP on Friday that the international community “should not feel intimidated by the risk of retaliation” from Israel.
The war, now nearing its second year, began after Hamas fighters stormed across the border on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,219 people in Israel, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
Recognition of Palestinian statehood has long been debated internationally, but gained little traction among Western powers closely aligned with Israel. Sunday’s expected announcements by Britain and Portugal—joined by other states in the coming days—mark a major diplomatic milestone.
Advocates argue that recognition could reinvigorate a peace process that has been stalled for more than a decade and strengthen Palestinian claims for sovereignty under international law.
Critics, however, warn that such unilateral moves risk hardening Israel’s stance, escalating regional instability, and undermining negotiations.
With global attention fixed on the UN General Assembly, the coming week is likely to shape the trajectory of both the Gaza conflict and the broader Israeli-Palestinian dispute for months to come.
