"Fundamental right"

3 European states recognize Palestine as a state

(Bild: EPA/picturedesk.com)

Norway, Spain and Ireland will recognize an independent Palestinian state. The step is to be formally taken on May 28, as announced by the heads of government of the three European states on Wednesday. "Today Ireland, Norway and Spain are announcing that we recognize the state of Palestine," said Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris on Wednesday. "Each of us will now take the necessary national steps."

Harris expects other countries to follow Ireland, Spain and Norway in the coming weeks. The government of the EU country Ireland had already declared that it would "certainly" recognize a Palestinian state by the end of May. The government in Oslo had also held out the prospect of such a step in the course of the spring. EU members Slovenia and Malta had also hinted at recognizing Palestine as a state.

Jonas Gahr Sturgeon

(Bild: AFP)

Norway: "No peace without a two-state solution"
"The Palestinians have a fundamental, independent right to their own state. Both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in peace in separate states. There can be no peace in the Middle East without a two-state solution," said a press release from the Norwegian government. The move is intended to keep the option of a two-state solution alive, said an Irish government spokesman.

Sanchez: No decision "against the people of Israel"
Sanchez described his decision to recognize a Palestinian state as an action in favour of "peace, coherence and justice". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "continued the destruction of the Gaza Strip" despite all calls and continued to punish the Palestinians "with hunger and terror". Sanchez emphasized that there should be no double standards in dealing with Gaza and Ukraine. The recognition of Palestine as a state was not a decision "against the people of Israel, a people that we respect and value". "Nor is it in favor of Hamas, as Prime Minister Netanyahu's propagandists claim, because Hamas is not interested in a two-state solution either," said Sanchez.

Israel rejects Palestinian state
Israel strictly rejects recognition of Palestine. In an initial reaction, Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz recalled his country's ambassadors in Ireland and Norway for immediate consultations. "I am sending a clear and unequivocal message to Ireland and Norway: Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who undermine its sovereignty and jeopardize its security," Katz wrote on Platform X. He announced similar steps for further recognitions.

The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the major attack on Israel on 7 October by the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the USA. According to Israeli figures, the radical Islamic fighters killed around 1170 people. A further 252 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. 124 of them are still there, 37 of whom are dead according to the army.

Hamas: More than 35,600 people killed in the Gaza Strip
In response, Israel has since taken massive military action in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 35,600 people have been killed.