Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the nation will recognize Palestine as a state in September, joining Canada, France, and the United Kingdom in doing so.
“Australia will recognize the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own, predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority,” he told reporters. The effort is “part of a coordinated global effort building momentum for a two-state solution.”
“A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East, and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering, and starvation in Gaza,” Albanese argued.
According to a government statement, Australia’s decision is “compelled by the Netanyahu Government’s disregard of the international community’s calls, and its failure to comply with its legal and ethical obligations in Gaza.” The site asserted that “Israel is required to protect civilians and ensure the provision of food and medical supplies. Permanent forced displacement of civilians is illegal.”
In recent weeks, Arab nations have urged Hamas to end its rule in Gaza and relinquish its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.
“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” the declaration states, adding, “We condemn the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians on the 7th of October. We also condemn the attacks by Israel against civilians in Gaza and civilian infrastructure, siege and starvation, which have resulted in a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis.”
