Norway, Ireland and Spain have announced their official recognition of Palestinian statehood amid Israel's ongoing intense military operation in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, where more than 35,600 civilians, mostly children and women, have been killed in eight months of Israeli attacks, according to local health officials.
"The Norwegian Government has decided that Norway will recognise Palestine as a state. In the midst of a war, with tens of thousands killed and injured, we must keep alive the only alternative that offers a political solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike: Two states, living side by side, in peace and security," said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Wednesday.
The prime minister added that the Palestinian people have a fundamental right to self-determination.
"Both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to live in peace in their respective states. There will be no peace in the Middle East without a two-state solution. There can be no two-state solution without a Palestinian state. In other words, a Palestinian state is a prerequisite for achieving peace in the Middle East," said the PM.
Ireland’s taoiseach (prime minister) Simon Harris has also confirmed at a press conference that Ireland will recognize a Palestinian state, with a similar move announced by Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez.
Earlier, Politico reported that Ireland will officially recognize Palestinian statehood in coordination with at least two other European countries. It is reported that over the past few weeks Ireland had discussed the timing of Palestinian statehood recognition in meetings with the governments of Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Norway and Malta.
The Israeli Foreign Minister has ordered recalling of ambassadors from Ireland and Norway for consultations over the countries’ decision to recognize the Palestinian state.
Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz shared a post on X, saying:
"I’m sending a clear and unequivocal message to Ireland and Norway: Israel will not remain silent in the face of those undermining its sovereignty and endangering its security."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in late March that Madrid had reached an agreement with Ireland, Slovenia and Malta to take the first steps toward recognizing the State of Palestine to promote the peace process. The nations later issued a joint statement, in which they expressed their readiness to recognize the State of Palestine under the "right circumstances."
Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition of their independent state in the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity and builds settlements in the occupied areas despite objections from the United Nations.
Up until now, the State of Palestine had been recognized by nine EU member states. Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia took this step in 1988, before joining the EU, while Sweden recognized the State of Palestine in 2014.