Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Britain, Australia, Canada, and Portugal have officially recognised Palestine as a state, with France, Belgium and other countries poised to follow suit at the UN General Assembly. But what does official statehood mean for the people of this region?
Two years into the Israel war against Hamas, Britain, Australia, Canada and Portugal have recognised a Palestinian state with other countries such as France, Belgium to follow suit at the United Nations General Assembly.
With this move, at least 145 countries out of 193 UN members now recognise the State of Palestine. Notably, Algeria became the first country to officially recognise a Palestinian state on November 15, 1988, minutes after late Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat unilaterally proclaimed an independent Palestinian state.
