Ottawa [Canada], July 31: Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday, the latest in a series of symbolic announcements that are part of a broader global shift against Israel's policies in Gaza.
Carney convened a Cabinet meeting to discuss the situation in the battered Palestinian territory. He said it came after he discussed the crisis with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer who announced a similar move on Tuesday.
Leaders are under mounting pressure over the issue as scenes of hunger in Gaza have horrified so many across the world. "The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable," Carney said.
"Canada intends to recognize the State of Palestine at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025," Carney also said. He added that the intention is predicated on the Palestinian Authority "holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state."
Carney said he's "not in any way or shape minimizing that scale of that task."
"Clearly that's not a possibility in the near term," the prime minister said, adding that Canada has joined the efforts of other states to "preserve the possibility of a two state solution."
Much has to happen before a democratic viable state is established," he said.
Pressure to formally recognize Palestinian statehood has mounted since French President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that his country will become the first major Western power to recognize a Palestinian state in September.
On Tuesday, Starmer said Britain would recognize a state of Palestine before the U.N. General Assembly in September, "unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term, sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution."
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Cooperation