France, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Andorra and Belgium have formally recognised a Palestinian state at the 80th session of the General Assembly (UNGA).They join Canada, Australia and Portugal, as well as the United Kingdom, which announced its recognition on Sunday, as Israel pushes ahead with settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and escalates its genocide in Gaza.The UK’s decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state comes more than 100 years after the Balfour Declaration backed “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and 77 years after the creation of Israel in the British Mandate of Palestine.“In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and of a two-state solution,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a video statement Sunday.The declarations by major Western powers – long considered close allies of Israel – underscore its growing international isolation amid a war on Gaza which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians.Which countries now recognise Palestine?Currently, the State of Palestine is recognised as a sovereign nation by 157 of the 193 UN member states, representing 81 percent of the international community. In addition, it is recognised by the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City, which holds UN non-member observer status.These countries are listed in the table below:What does recognition mean?Recognising Palestine strengthens its global standing, boosts its c …
