Canada has joined Britain in threatening to recognise the state of Palestine at September’s United Nations General Assembly, marking a significant shift in Western diplomatic pressure on Israel amid the ongoing Gaza conflict that has killed over 60,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday that Ottawa would formally recognise Palestinian statehood contingent upon governance reforms by the Palestinian Authority, including a commitment to hold elections in 2026 without Hamas participation. The move follows Britain’s similar declaration just 24 hours earlier, when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer outlined four specific conditions Israel must meet to prevent UK recognition.
Canada has long been committed to a two-state solution – an independent, viable, and sovereign Palestinian state living side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security,” Carney stated during a press conference flanked by Foreign Minister Anita Anand. The Canadian leader confirmed he had spoken with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who assured him of his administration’s commitment to “fundamentally reform its governance” and ensure the demilitarisation of any future Palestinian state.
Britain’s conditions prove more stringent than Canada’s, with Starmer demanding Israel establish an immediate Gaza ceasefire, enable UN humanitarian deliveries, halt what he termed the “annexation” of the West Bank, and commit to pursuing a two-state peace framework. The UK Prime Minister defended the timing of the announcement, stating he was “particularly concerned that the idea of a two-state solution is reducing and feels further away today than it has for many years.
The coordinated diplomatic pressure from two G7 nations represents what experts describe as a watershed moment in Western policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Diplomatically, this is massive, according to analysts who note that Britain and France would become the first members of the Group of Seven leading economies to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Emily Damari, a British-Israeli citizen who spent 471 days in Hamas captivity before her release in January, condemned Starmer’s decision as “not standing on the right side of history.” By legitimising a state entity while Hamas still controls Gaza and continues its campaign of terror, you are not promoting a solution; you are prolonging the conflict, she wrote on social media, adding that Recognition under these conditions emboldens extremists and undermines any hope for genuine peace. Shame on you.
The announcements have triggered fierce reactions from both Israeli and American officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Starmer of rewarding “Hamas’s monstrous terrorism” and warned that A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW. Israel’s Foreign Ministry similarly rejected Canada’s decision, calling it a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages.
US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce delivered a particularly sharp rebuke during a press briefing, warning that recognising Palestinian statehood would be a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th and a reward for terrorism. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier condemned France’s similar announcement, describing it as a move that “only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.
Despite American opposition, US President Donald Trump appeared more measured in his response to the British announcement. I’m not going to take a position. I don’t mind him [Starmer] taking a position. I’m looking for getting people fed right now, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, though he acknowledged Britain was “going the same as Macron.”
The diplomatic moves come amid escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where At least 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, according to the most recent figures released by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, speaking at the UN conference in New York, said it was with the hand of history on our shoulders that London planned to recognise Palestinian statehood, given Britain’s pivotal role in Israel’s creation through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.
Palestinian officials have welcomed the announcements with cautious optimism. Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, said Britain’s formal recognition would hold particular historical and moral weight, representing a meaningful step in addressing the deep injustice rooted in the colonial-era Balfour Declaration and the decades of systematic denial of Palestinian rights that followed.
However, hostage families and their representatives have expressed grave concerns about the diplomatic strategy. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum warned that Recognizing a Palestinian state while 50 hostages remain trapped in Hamas tunnels amounts to rewarding terrorism. Adam Wagner KC, a barrister representing British hostage families, cautioned that the UK’s proposal risks delaying the release of the hostages by potentially disincentivising Hamas from agreeing to a ceasefire.
The diplomatic initiatives reflect growing international frustration with the conflict’s trajectory. Around three-quarters of UN member states already recognize Palestine, with Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia having made similar moves last year. France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that his country would recognise Palestine at the September UN gathering, making it the first G7 nation to commit unconditionally.
Canada’s approach includes specific governance requirements, with Carney insisting that Hamas must immediately release all hostages taken in the horrific terrorist attack of Oct. 7; that Hamas must disarm; and that Hamas must play no role in the future governance of Palestine. The Canadian government has already committed over £260 million (CAD $340 million) in humanitarian aid to address the Gaza crisis.
Opposition voices in both countries have raised concerns about the timing and conditions. Canada’s Conservative Party argued that A unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood, without peace negotiations or a renunciation of violence, destroys the path to a durable, two-state solution, warning it sends the wrong message to the world: that violence and terror are effective tools for achieving political objectives.
As the September deadline approaches, diplomatic sources suggest intensive negotiations are underway behind the scenes. Both Starmer and Carney have emphasised their countries’ continued support for Israel’s security whilst arguing that Palestinian statehood represents the only viable path to lasting peace. The UK government confirmed it would “make an assessment ahead of the UN general assembly” to determine whether Israel has met its conditions.
The coordinated Western pressure marks a significant evolution in international diplomacy regarding the decades-old conflict, with potential ramifications for Middle East peace efforts and the broader relationship between Western allies and Israel. As one senior diplomat noted, the September UN General Assembly could prove a defining moment for the future of the two-state solution.
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Image Credit:
Prime Minister Mark Carney, June 2025 – Photo via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
