TRANSCRIPT:
In a major diplomatic shift, Canada and the United Kingdom have followed France's lead, saying they’ll recognise Palestine as a state at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement following an emergency cabinet meeting in Ottawa, as images of starving children in Gaza continue to shock the world.
Mr Carney made it clear the recognition was both a moral stand and a strategic step.
"Canada has long been committed to a two-state solution – an independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state living side by side with the state of Israel in peace and security. For decades, it was hoped that this outcome would be achieved as part of a peace process built around a negotiated settlement between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. Regrettably, this approach is no longer tenable."
France last week became the first G-7 nation to commit unconditionally to formal recognition.
However Mark Carney says Canada's decision is subject to conditions.
"This intention is predicated on the Palestinian Authority's commitment to much-needed reforms, including commitments by its president, Mahmoud Abbas, to reform its governance and to hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can take no part. And to demilitarise the Palestinian state. Canada will increase its efforts to support strong democratic governance in Palestine and contributions of its people to a more peaceful and hopeful future."
And it comes just one day after the United Kingdom unveiled a similar plan, though with different conditions attached.
At the U-N in New York, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy delivered the U-K’s message to world leaders, that Britain will recognise a Palestinian state, unless Israel takes steps toward a ceasefire and long-term peace.
Mr Lammy condemns both Hamas for its hostage-taking and Israel for restricting aid.
"We gather today at a dark moment, 660 days since the Israeli hostages were first cruelly taken by Hamas terrorists. There is no possible justification for this suffering and only a clear duty that we help to bring it to an end. The devastation in Gaza is heartbreaking. Children are starving. And Israel's drip-feeding of aid has horrified the world. These are an affront to the values of the Charter of the United Nations."
He detailed the U-K’s actions so far: restoring UNRWA funding, suspending arms exports to Israel, sanctioning far-right Israeli ministers and freezing trade talks with the Netanyahu government.
“Let me be clear: the Netanyahu government’s rejection of a two-state solution is wrong. It's wrong morally and strategically. It harms the interests of the Israeli people closing off the only path to a just and lasting peace. ... And so, it is with the hand of history on our shoulders that His Majesty’s Government intends to recognise the state of Palestine when the UN General Assembly gathers in September here in New York.”
Secretary Lammy says the U-K will use the next eight weeks to push for changes on the ground in Gaza.
He says the hope is that the announcement will pressure Israel to allow aid, halt its military campaign, and begin serious negotiations toward a two-state outcome.
In the U-K, the response to the government's move has been sharply divided.
Director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Ben Jamal, welcomes recognition in principle but says the government’s approach is too conditional.
"It is framed as Britain showing its support for the Palestinian people's right of self-determination by recognising statehood, but makes that conditional upon Israel's actions. It doesn't frame it as an inalienable right. It makes it effectively a bargaining chip. And the message to the Palestinian people that Keir Starmer is delivering effectively is 'we will acknowledge your right to self-determination by recognising your state unless in the next few weeks, Israel stops starving you and stops threatening to annex your land. And if Israel does those things, then we won't.'"
Meanwhile, the Jewish Leadership Council also voiced criticism, but from the opposite perspective.
Their Director of Public Affairs, Russell Langer, says that premature recognition could embolden Hamas.
"We have always opposed unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. The reason being that while we support all efforts to create peace in the region, this is an unhelpful move at this time.... By creating the conditions on Israel and not being clear that a recognition cannot happen while Hamas continues to hold hostages and is in control of the Gaza Strip, what the government is doing is clearly a reward for the terrorism that's been perpetrated by Hamas and that just isn't acceptable."
That fear has been echoed by former hostages themselves.
Luis Har, rescued after 129 days in Hamas captivity, says global attention has turned too quickly away from what happened on the 7th of October 2023.
"The problem now, in this moment, is the people (are) looking only for the Palestinian people and forget what happened on October 7 and (they) forget we have 20 civilians from Israel (still) in captivity."
Emily Damari, a dual British-Israeli who spent over 470 days in captivity, posted online that the U-K’s move rewards terror and sends a dangerous message.
Australia has not moved to follow Canada and the U-K.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, at least *48 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday [[30 July]] while waiting for food at the Zikim crossing.
Shifa Hospital officials say they were among crowds seeking flour when gunfire broke out.
It’s unclear who opened fire.
Several Palestinians were seen walking away carrying 50-kilogram bags of flour.
This comes as the Deputy Spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, says the current aid system is unsustainable.
"The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that, four days since the start of tactical pauses in Gaza declared by the Israeli authorities, we are still seeing casualties among those seeking aid and more deaths due to hunger and malnutrition. Parents continue to struggle to save their starving children."
Around 220 trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday, far short of the 500 to 600 needed daily.
And even that aid is often offloaded by desperate crowds with little oversight.
The U-N says unless aid access improves rapidly, widespread famine is inevitable.
