Overview

• France announced on July 25 that it will formally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, prompting similar commitments from the UK and Canada.
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain’s recognition will proceed unless Israel ends the Gaza crisis, agrees to a ceasefire, halts West Bank annexations and resumes UN aid deliveries.
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney tied Ottawa’s planned recognition to Palestinian Authority governance reforms and the holding of elections in 2026 with no Hamas involvement.
• A letter signed by 40 members of the House of Lords warned that Britain’s pledge could breach the Montevideo Convention’s criteria for statehood.
• Israel’s foreign ministry denounced the moves as a reward for Hamas and President Trump threatened tariffs that would complicate a US-Canada trade deal.