Overview

• On July 29 Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK will formally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September unless Israel secures a Gaza ceasefire, halts West Bank annexation and restores humanitarian aid access
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on July 30–31 that Canada will back Palestinian statehood contingent on Palestinian Authority governance reforms, a 2026 election excluding Hamas and state demilitarisation
• France has already pledged to recognise Palestine alongside the UK and Canada, reflecting a coordinated strategy among major Western and Arab nations to pressure both Israel and Palestinian leaders
• Israel’s Foreign Ministry denounced the recognition plans as a “reward for Hamas,” and President Trump warned Canada that backing Palestinian statehood would undermine pending US-Canada trade talks
• These pledges leverage conditional recognition to press for a ceasefire, address Gaza’s worsening humanitarian crisis and preserve prospects for a lasting two-state peace framework