Recognition of Palestine: Recent developments and current situation
In recent days, several Western countries have announced the recognition of Palestine, marking the largest wave of support in decades, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
On the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, a number of countries — France, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, and Belgium — officially recognized the State of Palestine.
On the eve of this step, Canada, Australia, Portugal, and the United Kingdom made similar statements. Thus, the wave of support for Palestine has become the largest in recent years.
How many countries recognize Palestine
As of today, Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by nearly 160 out of 193 UN member states, which constitutes 81% of the world community. Additionally, recognition comes from the Holy See — the governing body of the Catholic Church and the Vatican, which holds observer status at the UN.
Palestinian independence was first declared on November 15, 1988, by the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization Yasser Arafat in Algiers. Algeria then became the first country to recognize Palestinian statehood. Dozens of states in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arab world subsequently recognized Palestine.
The United Kingdom and the historical context
Particular attention was drawn to London’s decision. The United Kingdom recognized Palestine more than 100 years after the Balfour Declaration, which laid the foundation for the creation of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, and 77 years after the establishment of the State of Israel during the British Mandate.
What does recognition give to Palestine?
According to Al Jazeera, recognition strengthens Palestine’s international subjectivity and allows it to: open embassies with full diplomatic status, conclude trade agreements, receive support in international organizations, and appeal to the International Criminal Court.
However, experts emphasize that recognition by itself does not stop military actions and does not end Israeli occupation.
Israel and the United States
Israel sharply rejected the new recognition steps. The country’s Permanent Representative to the UN Danny Danon called the summit on Palestine a “circus” and stated that recognition “rewards terrorism.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated this line, saying that the creation of a Palestinian state “will not take place.”
The United States also maintains a hard line. Washington traditionally blocks initiatives aimed at granting Palestine full UN membership.
The U.S. has long stated that it will recognize a Palestinian state in time, but only after Palestinians reach an agreement with Israel on a “two-state solution,” implying the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
Until recently, major European powers shared this position.
However, since 2014 no negotiations on this matter have been held, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that a Palestinian state will never exist.
Just last year Netanyahu stated that Israel must control security over the entire territory west of the Jordan River, meaning the area necessary for the creation of any future Palestinian state.
Regardless of how many countries recognize Palestine’s independence, full UN membership requires the approval of the Security Council, where Washington holds veto power.
Why do some countries still not recognize Palestine
Countries that do not recognize Palestine explain this by the absence of a final settlement of the conflict. The peace process, launched in the 1990s, effectively stalled even before the collapse of negotiations in Washington in 2014. Key issues remain unresolved — the borders of the future state, the status of Jerusalem, and the fate of refugees.
The situation is further complicated by the absence of unified leadership: the West Bank is controlled by Fatah, Gaza by Hamas, and elections have not been held since 2006.
After the events of October 7, 2023, the international community agreed that Hamas should not govern the Gaza Strip, but the question of who will assume power in the enclave remains open.
De facto sovereignty
Palestine enjoys broad international recognition, has diplomatic missions abroad, and teams participating in international sporting competitions, including the Olympic Games.
Palestinian diplomatic missions worldwide are under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, which is internationally recognized as the representative of the Palestinian people.
However, due to the ongoing conflict with Israel, Palestine has neither internationally agreed borders, nor a capital, nor an army.
Because of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority, created after the signing of the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, does not fully control its territory and population.
The Palestinian Authority, with its capital in Ramallah and headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, exercises limited self-government in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank in accordance with agreements with Israel. It issues Palestinian passports and oversees Palestinian healthcare and education systems.
Since 2007, after a brief armed conflict, Hamas established control over the Gaza Strip, displacing Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah structures. Since then, the enclave has been under Hamas administration, though the Palestinian Authority continues to pay salaries to many employees in Gaza. Fatah and the institutions of the Palestinian Authority still retain power only in the West Bank.
A new stage of international support
Thus, by the end of September 2025, the number of countries officially recognizing Palestine has approached 160. The new wave of recognition in the Western world demonstrates a change in the international landscape: whereas previously Palestine was supported mainly by countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, now European and Anglo-Saxon states are joining them.
Experts emphasize: recognition alone does not resolve the conflict, but it increases diplomatic pressure on Israel and its allies, opening new international opportunities for Palestinians and keeping the prospect of a “two states for two peoples” solution on the agenda.
Earlier, it was reported that Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever announced the recognition of the State of Palestine, emphasizing his country’s commitment to a two-state solution.