31 July 2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney has said Canada plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September, becoming the third G7 nation to make such an announcement in recent days.
Carney said the move depended on democratic reforms, including the Palestinian Authority holding elections next year without Hamas.
Israel’s foreign ministry rejected Canada’s announcement, calling it “a reward for Hamas”, while US President Donald Trump said it would make a possible trade deal between the US and Canada “very hard”.
However, most countries – 147 of the UN’s 193 member states – formally recognise a Palestinian state.
Carney said Canada would formally recognise the state of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly.
He cited the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, and the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas as reasons behind Canada’s dramatic shift in foreign policy.
His remarks came a day after the UK announced it would recognise a Palestinian state in September – unless Israel agreed to a ceasefire and other conditions – and a week after France unveiled a similar plan.
Source:BBcnews
