TEL AVIV (AP):
Norway, Ireland and Spain said on Wednesday they would recognise a Palestinian state, a historic but largely symbolic move that further deepens Israel’s isolation more than seven months into its grinding war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel immediately denounced the decisions and recalled its ambassadors to the three countries.
Palestinian officials welcomed the announcements as an affirmation of their decades-long quest for statehood in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip – territories Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war and still controls.
While some 140 countries – more than two-thirds of the United Nations – recognise a Palestinian state, Wednesday’s cascade of announcements could build momentum at a time when even close allies of Israel have piled on criticism for its conduct in Gaza.
The timing of the move was a surprise, but discussions have been under way for weeks in some European Union countries about possibly recognising a Palestinian state. Proponents have argued that the war has shown the need for a new push towards a two-state solution, 15 years after negotiations collapsed between Israel and the Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government opposes Palestinian statehood.
It was the second blow to Israel’s international reputation this week, after the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he would seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defence minister. The International Court of Justice is also considering allegations of genocide that Israel has strenuously denied.
In addition to recalling the ambassadors to the three countries, Israel summoned their envoys, accusing the Europeans of rewarding the militant Hamas group for its October 7 attack that triggered the war. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the European ambassadors would watch grisly video footage of the attack.