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Portugal will formally recognize a Palestinian state on Sunday, joining a growing list of Western nations prepared to take the diplomatic step amid the ongoing war in Gaza, the country's foreign ministry announced Friday.
The recognition comes ahead of next week's United Nations General Assembly, where approximately 10 additional countries are expected to follow Portugal's lead in acknowledging Palestinian statehood. Britain, Canada and France are among the Western nations planning similar moves during the assembly in New York.
Portugal's foreign ministry confirmed the timing in a statement posted on its website Friday. "The ministry of foreign affairs confirms that Portugal will recognise the State of Palestine... the official declaration of recognition will be made on Sunday, September 21," the statement read.
The Portuguese government had signaled its intentions in July, citing what it called the "extremely worrying evolution of the conflict" and growing humanitarian concerns in Gaza. Officials also pointed to repeated Israeli threats to annex Palestinian territory as factors influencing the decision.
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Lisbon's move represents a significant shift in European diplomatic positioning on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The timing of the announcement, coming just days before the UN General Assembly, appears coordinated with other Western nations preparing similar declarations.
The wave of recognition comes as Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza continues, sparked by the militant group's October 7, 2023 attack. The prolonged conflict has created what the United Nations has described as a dire humanitarian crisis, with warnings of famine conditions in Gaza City.
An adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron revealed Friday that Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and San Marino also plan to recognize Palestine as a state. This coordinated effort suggests extensive diplomatic coordination among Western nations traditionally supportive of Israel.
Britain, Canada and France's participation in the recognition wave marks a particularly notable development, given these countries' historically strong ties with Israel and their previous reluctance to unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood without a negotiated settlement.
Israel has strongly opposed the recognition efforts, arguing they reward Hamas for launching the deadly attack that triggered the current war. Despite these objections, the deteriorating conditions in Gaza have prompted even some of Israel's traditional allies to reconsider their positions on Palestinian statehood.
The Israeli government has consistently maintained that unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood undermines prospects for negotiated peace and provides incentives for militant groups. However, the mounting humanitarian toll in Gaza appears to be reshaping international opinion on the conflict.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of catastrophic conditions in the coastal strip, where Israeli military operations against Hamas have displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and severely damaged civilian infrastructure.
The upcoming UN General Assembly, beginning Monday, will focus extensively on what diplomats call the two-state solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The assembly's agenda reflects growing international urgency around finding a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.
Currently, approximately three-quarters of the UN's 193 member nations already recognize the State of Palestine. The addition of Portugal and the other Western nations would bring the total closer to 80 percent of UN membership, significantly strengthening Palestinian diplomatic standing.
The coordinated recognition effort represents a significant diplomatic shift, as Western nations traditionally aligned with Israel reassess their positions in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The timing of these announcements, clustered around the UN General Assembly, suggests careful diplomatic coordination aimed at maximizing international pressure for a negotiated settlement.
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