Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
AMN
Spain, Ireland and Norway have announced their intention Wednesday to recognize Palestinian statehood, citing the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and a need to achieve a two-state solution for lasting peace in the region.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the decision was based on “peace, justice and coherence.” “Time has come to move from words into action,” Sanchez said.
“The ongoing war in Gaza has made it abundantly clear that achieving peace and stability must be predicated on resolving the Palestinian question,” Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said. “The war is the lowest point in the prolonged Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The situation in the Middle East has not been this grave for many years.”
Israel quickly denounced the diplomatic declarations by the three countries, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring that Hamas had won a “prize for terrorism.”
He said a Palestinian nation “would be a terrorist state. It would try to carry out the October 7 massacre again and again – and that, we shall not agree to.”
Norway said there is broad international consensus about the need for a two-state solution, including an overwhelming vote at the U.N. General Assembly this month to recognize the Palestinians as qualified to join the world body.
The three countries said their recognition of Palestinian statehood will take effect May 28.