Ireland, Norway, and Spain have declared they will officially acknowledge a Palestinian state from May 28.
Spain and Ireland expressed that the decision was not against Israel nor in favor of Hamas, but rather in support of peace.
Israel responded furiously, cautioning that the action would lead to further instability in the area and summoning its ambassadors from all three nations.
Both Hamas and its adversary, the Palestinian Authority, have greeted the acknowledgment.
Norway initiated the announcement on Wednesday in a coordinated maneuver with the other two countries.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre remarked in a speech that the decision was “in support of moderate forces that are on a retreating front in a prolonged and brutal conflict.”
“This is an investment in the sole solution that can bring enduring peace in the Middle East,” he added, alluding to the so-called two-state solution, which would witness an Israeli and a Palestinian state coexisting peacefully.
Ireland and Spain followed suit shortly afterward.
“Today, we declare clearly our unequivocal support for the equal right to security, dignity, and self-determination for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples,” Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin stated.
The nation’s Prime Minister Simon Harris later emphasized that “Hamas is not the Palestinian people.”
“Today’s determination to recognize Palestine is made to aid in creating a peaceful future,” he asserted.
Mr. Harris’s remarks were echoed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who remarked that the action was “not against Israel, is not against the Jews.”
“It is not in favor of Hamas, which has been asserted. This acknowledgment is not against anyone; it is in support of peace and coexistence.”
Israel reacted to the proclamations with anger.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the move by Ireland, Norway, and Spain as a “reward for terrorism” and said it would not bring peace.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz proclaimed he was instructing the immediate return of the Israeli ambassadors to all three countries for “consultations.”
“Israel will not overlook this silently – there will be other severe repercussions,” he stated.
Mr. Katz also indicated that the ambassadors of the three countries in Israel would be summoned for “reprimand talks,” during which they would be shown a video of the abduction of female Israeli soldiers on October 7.
Hamas, which controls Gaza and is presently at war with Israel, declared Wednesday’s declarations would mark a “turning point in the international position on the Palestinian issue.”
In a declaration to AFP, Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas figure, stated the “brave resistance” of the Palestinian people was behind the move.
Hamas’s adversary, the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, conveyed that Norway, Spain, and Ireland had illustrated their “unyielding commitment” to “delivering the long overdue justice to the Palestinian people.”
Also on Wednesday, the Israeli military endorsed the return of Israeli citizens to the locations of three settlements in the occupied West Bank, from which they had been barred from entering since 2005.
Israel’s parliament had voted to allow its citizens to return in March last year, but military permission was required for the bill to be enacted.
Most of the international community views the settlements as illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
The topic of Palestinian statehood has confounded the international community for decades.
Since the October 7 attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his opposition to such a plan, asserting that the establishment of a Palestinian state would jeopardize Israel’s security.
About 1,200 individuals perished in the unprecedented assaults on October 7, when Hamas gunmen infiltrated Israel. They abducted 252 others back to Gaza as hostages.
Since then, over 35,000 individuals, primarily civilians, have perished in Israel’s Gaza offensive, according to the Hamas-operated health ministry.
Most of the world already recognizes the state of Palestine. Earlier this month, 143 of the 193 members of the United Nations General Assembly voted in favor of it joining the UN, something only states can do.
Before Wednesday’s announcements, only nine European countries supported Palestinian statehood, and most of those made the decision in 1988 when they were part of the Soviet bloc.
Most other European countries, and the US, still maintain recognition should come only as part of a long-term two-state solution to the conflict.
A White House spokesperson stated US President Joe Biden was a “strong supporter” of the two-state solution and believed “a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations, not through unilateral recognition.”
Slovenia and Malta have also recently mentioned they were considering formal acknowledgment.
Norway’s prime minister also expressed on Wednesday that he hoped the recognition of Palestinian statehood by the three countries would bring renewed impetus to the peace negotiations.
Long-standing discussions in Cairo aimed at securing a truce and further hostage releases are currently at an impasse.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. Earlier this week, the UN announced food distribution in the southern Gaza city of Rafah had been suspended due to a lack of supplies and insecurity.
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently petitioned for arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu and Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, for war crimes. Both Israel and Hamas have condemned the move.
Israel contends an offensive in Rafah is necessary to eliminate Hamas, but the international community has cautioned against it, stating it will greatly exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
