Canada intends to recognise an independent Palestinian state at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
“Canada has long been committed to a two-state solution – an independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian state that lives side by side with the State of Israel in peace and security,” Carney said.
The Canadian prime minister also noted that Ottawa condemns the Israeli government, which “allowed the disaster in the Gaza Strip”.
Malta also announced a similar decision. Prime Minister Robert Abela stressed that recognising an independent Palestinian state would be part of efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry called Canada’s decision a reward for Hamas (a group recognised as terrorist in the EU and the US) and a blow to ceasefire efforts in Gaza. US President Donald Trump wrote in Truth Social that Canada’s decision “will make it very difficult for us to make a trade deal with them”.
Canada became the third G7 country to announce future recognition of an independent Palestinian state, after France and Britain.
Norway, Ireland and Spain made similar decisions in May.
According to UN resolutions, two states – a Jewish state and an Arab state – were to be established in the territory of former British Mandate Palestine. The Jewish state of Israel was established in 1948. A Palestinian state was not established at that time, its probable territories first coming under the control of Egypt and Jordan, then Israel. Subsequently, the Palestinian autonomy was formed, whose authorities seek international recognition of the independence of the Palestinian state. It has now been recognised by about 150 UN member states. The US and Israel refuse to recognise it.
According to the UN resolutions, the territory of the state should consist of the West Bank of Jordan, which is partially under the control of the structures of the Palestinian National Authority, the Gaza Strip (there the power has the group “Hamas”, which Israel seeks to eliminate) and East Jerusalem. Israel, which controls most of these territories, disagrees with the proposed borders.