Australia says it plans to recognize a Palestinian state

Australia said Monday that it plans to recognize a Palestinian state, joining a growing list of Western governments making the move as Israel becomes increasingly isolated over the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip

Australia said Monday that it plans to recognize a Palestinian state, joining a growing list of Western governments making the move as Israel becomes increasingly isolated over the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month.

“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,” he said at a news conference after a Cabinet meeting in Canberra.

The Australian announcement follows similar ones in recent weeks by Britain, France and Canada. Though largely symbolic, they indicate a broader global shift against Israel’s policies in Gaza, where the U.N. and others say people are dying of malnutrition and starvation after months of limited or nonexistent aid.

Albanese said Australia’s position was predicated on the commitments it had received from the Palestinian Authority, including that there would be no role for Hamas in any future Palestinian state.