Norway, Ireland, and Spain to Recognize Palestinian Statehood Amid Ongoing Gaza Conflict | WPN World People News

In an unprecedented move, Norway, Ireland, and Spain have broken the deadlock surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On the heels of last year’s Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in thousands of deaths and the abduction of hundreds of hostages, Israel’s retaliatory actions in Gaza have led to over 35,000 fatalities, predominantly among women and children. The indiscriminate violence has sparked global outrage.

On the 22nd, these European and Western nations announced their intention to formally recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. The recognition process is set to be initiated, with official statements expected by the 28th. Middle Eastern countries have expressed approval of this decision. However, Israel strongly opposes it and has recalled its ambassadors from the three countries. Meanwhile, the United States, France, Germany, and others argue that the timing is not conducive to such recognition.

Leaders including Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin, Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have all issued statements in support of a two-state solution—one for Israel and one for Palestine. They emphasize that this approach is essential for peace in the Middle East, ensuring security, dignity, and equal self-determination rights for both parties. Notably, they underscore that recognizing Palestine does not imply opposition to Israel or its Jewish population.

While at least 143 countries worldwide officially recognize Palestine—representing over 70% of UN member states—the majority of them do not maintain embassies or engage in formal diplomatic relations due to the ongoing Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territories. In contrast, European and American countries have been hesitant to recognize Palestine.