Overview

• France, the UK and Canada have committed to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September 2025.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has rejected Palestinian statehood and won a 71-13 Knesset vote to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
• Israeli officials are reportedly preparing to annex parts of northern Gaza if Hamas does not release hostages taken in the October 7, 2023 attacks.
• Israel’s ongoing military offensive has reduced much of Gaza to a smoldering wasteland, pushing the territory toward famine and sparking international humanitarian alarm.
• Recognition at the UN would subject the Palestinian Authority to ICC and ICJ jurisdiction under the Rome Statute, potentially opening PA leaders to prosecution over state-funded support for terrorism.