Canada announced has announced it will join France, and possibly the UK, in recognising the state of Palestine in September, increasing pressure to resolve the 80-year-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters in Ontario that the country will only recognise Palestine as a state if the Palestinian Authority commits to major governance reforms and holds general elections in 2026, in which Hamas cannot be involved.
Carney’s announcement drew criticism from US President Donald Trump on Thursday, who warned it would be “very hard” to make a trade deal with Canada.
His comments came just hours before the August 1 deadline for Canada to reach an agreement or face a 35% tariff on some Canadian imports.
Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh’ Canada!!!”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry “rejected” Canada’s decision in a post on X, calling it a “reward to Hamas”.
“The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages,” the Ministry said.
Malta also joined Canada on Wednesday in announcing it will recognise the state of Palestine in September.
The moves come just days after the UK said it would do the same unless Israel takes meaningful steps to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire, and commit to a long-term peace plan supporting a two-state solution.
“This includes allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid and making clear that there will be no annexations in the West Bank,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday.
However, 38 members of the House of Lords, including some of the country’s most prominent lawyers, have written to the attorney general warning that recognising a Palestinian state could breach international law, The Times reported.
They argue the territory may not meet the criteria for statehood under the 1933 Montevideo Convention.
France became the first G7 nation to back recognition last week, following Ireland, Spain and Norway, which officially recognised Palestine in 2023.
Canada, Malta, Britain and France have said they plan to formally recognise the state of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly, which begins on 23 September.
Israel opposes a two-state solution and is boycotting the meeting along with its closest ally, the US.
Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, on Tuesday criticised the 125 countries participating in the conference and new plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
“=”There are those in the world who fight terrorists and extremist forces and then there are those who turn a blind eye to them or resort to appeasement,” he said.
“While our hostages are languishing in Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza, these countries choose to engage in hollow statements instead of investing their efforts in their release.
“This is hypocrisy and a waste of time that legitimises terrorism and distances any chance of regional progress.”
Malta’s permanent secretary of foreign affairs Christopher Cutajar, countered that “recognition is not merely symbolic – it is a concrete step towards the realisation of a just and lasting peace”.
Gaza’s humanitarian crisis
At least 48 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured on Wednesday while waiting for food at Zikim Crossing in the Gaza Strip, according to a local hospital.
Another seven people, including a child, died from malnutrition-related causes, the Gaza’s Health Ministry said.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the world’s leading authority on hunger crises, has stopped short of formally declaring a famine in Gaza but warned on Tuesday that conditions have sharply worsened and could lead to “widespread death” without urgent intervention.
ITV News has spoken to the families of several critically ill children in the besieged territory, who fear they may not survive for much longer without evacuations to countries including the UK for treatment.
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