ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - In a joint move on Sunday, the UK, Canada, and Australia announced that they will recognize the State of Palestine, joining a growing wave of Western nations moving to recognize Palestinian statehood amid international outrage at Israel's ongoing campaign in Gaza.

"Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognizes the State of Palestine," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a video address. 

The premier noted that his vision for a two-state solution to the conflict entails "a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian State," stressing that the recognition "is not a reward" for Hamas, whom he called "a brutal terror organization," adding that London will take additional measures to sanction Hamas figures in the coming weeks.

Starmer also highlighted the "utterly intolerable" Israeli campaign in Gaza, urging the Israeli government to stop what he called "cruel tactics" and to end aid restrictions.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 65,141 Palestinians and the wounding of 165,925, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Vast areas of Gaza have been razed to the ground, displacing the vast majority of the territory's 2 million inhabitants.

Writing on X, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that "Canada recognizes the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel."

A statement published by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the joint recognition comes as "part of a co-ordinated international effort to build momentum for a two-state solution, starting with a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages taken in the atrocities of October 7, 2023."

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir criticized the announcements, urging the Israeli government to annex the West Bank in response. 

"The recognition by Britain, Canada, and Australia of a Palestinian state... requires immediate countermeasures: the swift application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank] and the complete dismantling of the Palestinian Authority," he said in a statement on Sunday.

London previously conditionally mulled the move toward recognition in late July, with Starmer saying that they would follow through with the move  unless Israel took "substantive steps" toward resolving the conflict and alleviating the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

The winds of change regarding Palestinian statehood have blown across Europe as Israel's punitive campaign in Gaza has dragged on, with many European countries having announced that they will proceed with recognition at the UN General Assembly, with the Assembly's high-level week that sees representatives of UN member states coalesce for debates in New York set to commence on Tuesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron in July announced Paris' intention to recognize the State of Palestine, saying that “it is essential to build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East."

The current recognition wave was preceded by similar moves made by Ireland, Spain, and Norway in 2024.