GAZA CITY: A senior Hamas official on Sunday hailed Britain, Canada, and Australia's recognition of a Palestinian state, describing it as a victory for the rights of Palestinians.
"These developments represent a victory for Palestinian rights and the justice of our cause, and send a clear message: no matter how far the occupation goes in its crimes, it will never be able to erase our national rights," Mahmud Mardawi told AFP.
In a statement later on Sunday, Hamas said the recognition must be accompanied by "practical measures".
These, it said, should include an immediate halt to "the genocidal war being waged against our people in the Gaza Strip and confronting the ongoing annexation and judaisation projects in the West Bank and Jerusalem," the group said in a statement.
Earlier, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia formally recognized the State of Palestine, a significant move aimed at reviving momentum for a two-state solution, despite strong opposition from the United States and Israel.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in a televised address, marking a historic shift in UK foreign policy after decades of non-recognition.
"Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognizes the State of Palestine," Starmer wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Canada quickly followed suit, with Prime Minister Mark Carney declaring that his country had joined other major Western nations in pressing Israel to end the war in Gaza.
"Canada recognizes the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel," Carney wrote on the same platform.
Australia also made its move, recognizing Palestine as "independent and sovereign" effective immediately. "In doing so, Australia acknowledges the legitimate and long-held aspirations of the Palestinian people to a state of their own," said a joint statement from the leaders of Australia, the UK, and Canada.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized that this recognition reflects Australia's "longstanding commitment to a two-state solution, which has always been the only path to enduring peace and security for both Israeli and Palestinian peoples."
Reacting to the recognition, Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin hailed the development as a crucial step toward Palestinian sovereignty.
"Countries recognizing a Palestinian state this week are taking an irreversible step that preserves the two-state solution and brings Palestinian independence closer," she told reporters in Ramallah.
Shahin emphasized that while the move might not immediately end the ongoing war, it is a significant stride forward.
"Now is the time. Tomorrow is a historic date we need to build on. It's not the end," she added, referring to Israel's nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza.
In a related development, Portugal also expressed its intention to recognize the Palestinian state on Sunday, as confirmed by its foreign ministry in a statement issued on Friday.
This shift in diplomatic stance from major Western nations comes ahead of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), where the issue of Palestinian statehood and the ongoing conflict in Gaza is expected to be a key focus of discussions.
The development irked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, prompting a response stating that it "would not happen".
