UNITED NATIONS, Sunday, September 21, 2025 (WNP): Britain, Australia and Canada on Sunday formally recognized the State of Palestine, a coordinated diplomatic move that underscores growing Western frustration with Israel’s war in Gaza and aims to revive the flagging prospects of a two-state solution.

The announcements, delivered just days before the opening of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, are expected to be followed by France and several other European states. The decisions put these U.S. allies at odds with Israel’s key partner, Washington, and deepen Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s diplomatic isolation.

In a defiant response, Netanyahu declared that “there will be no Palestinian state.”

More than 140 UN member states already recognize Palestine. The latest Western endorsements come amid international outrage over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians — mostly women and children — and reduced much of the enclave to rubble. A UN commission last week accused Israel of committing genocide, a charge it has rejected.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the recognition was meant to keep alive the hope of peace. “The hope for a two-state solution is fading, but we cannot let that light go out,” he said in a video message. “Today, the United Kingdom formally recognizes the State of Palestine.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused Israel of working “methodically to prevent the prospect of a Palestinian state from ever being established,” while Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated that “a two-state solution has always been the only path to enduring peace and security for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hailed the moves as “an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace,” while Israel’s government condemned the decisions.

Pakistan, a consistent advocate for Palestinian self-determination, has also pressed for international recognition. In July, during a UN meeting co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called for “universal recognition” of Palestine and full UN membership. Dar also chaired a UN Security Council session on the issue during Pakistan’s presidency of the Council, where he underscored the need for accountability for war crimes and reiterated Islamabad’s support for the two-state solution.

Diplomats say Sunday’s coordinated moves across three continents reflect a shift in global dynamics but caution that recognition, while symbolically powerful, does little to alter realities on the ground, where the vision of a viable Palestinian state appears more distant than ever.