Australia to Officially Recognise Palestinian State as Western Nations Voice Discontent Over Gaza Crisis

Australia has announced its intent to formally recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September, a decision revealed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on 11 August 2025. This significant move is framed as a step towards achieving a two-state solution, securing a ceasefire in Gaza, and facilitating the release of hostages.

Prime Minister Albanese underscored that this decision considers commitments made by the Palestinian Administration. He explicitly stated that "Hamas terrorists can play no role in a future Palestinian state," clarifying that this was a condition Australia demanded and received agreement on from President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Administration.

Australia's announcement follows similar declarations or intentions from several other Western nations, reflecting growing international dissatisfaction with Israel's ongoing military actions, blockade, and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

France led the way, with President Emmanuel Macron stating that Paris would recognise the Palestinian state during the September UN General Assembly session.

Following France, the leaders of Canada and Malta also indicated they would take comparable steps.

The United Kingdom's Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a similar statement, though he made his country's recognition conditional on Israel agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced that he would discuss the recognition of Palestine with his country's president and parliament.

These decisions are set against the backdrop of the devastating conflict in Gaza, which began in October 2023 after Hamas's attack on southern Israel. The war has reportedly led to over 60,000 Palestinian deaths and plunged approximately two million people into severe hardship and famine. The Hamas-controlled health ministry in the territory also reports nearly 200 deaths due to starvation, with a significant number being children.

Globally, approximately 150 out of 193 UN member states already recognise the independence of the State of Palestine. Palestine has held observer state status at the UN since 2012, and in May 2024, the UN General Assembly expanded its rights and symbolically voted to admit it as a member.

In related developments, "Al-Jazeera" journalist Anas al-Sharif was reportedly killed along with four colleagues in an Israeli air strike on 10 August. "Al-Jazeera" described al-Sharif as one of Gaza's "bravest journalists" and condemned the attack as an "attempt to silence voices in Gaza". The Israeli military, however, claimed al-Sharif was linked to Hamas, asserting that many killed in Israeli air strikes are Islamist militants posing as journalists. Both "Al-Jazeera" and al-Sharif had previously denied such allegations. Al-Sharif was part of the Reuters team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2024 for its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has reported that at least 186 journalists have been killed in the ongoing Gaza conflict.