Displaced Palestinians flee northern Gaza after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south, on Monday.Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
Palestinians in Gaza reacted with a sense of optimism over the news that Canada, Britain, Australia, France and Portugal have recognized the state of Palestine, raising hopes that the historic announcements will bring an end to the Hamas-Israel war and that the nearly 80-year quest for statehood may finally come to fruition.
Despite Israel’s current offensive to capture Gaza City, which is suffering from famine, the widespread starvation elsewhere in the Gaza Strip and the UN report last week that Israel is committing genocide there, neighbours happily spread the word among each other that some of the world’s most powerful nations were making efforts to address their suffering.
Stay up to date on Gaza and the Israel-Hamas war, including the ground offensive, ceasefire talks and the continuing famine.
But many are asking whether recognition of a state is enough to bring Palestinians closer to having their own country or whether it is just a symbolic gesture.
Walid Deeb, 60, a resident of the Gaza Strip, was cautiously optimistic.
“Every recognition sends a message to the world that our cause is alive and that Palestinians have not been forgotten,” he said.
Israel's military pushed deeper towards the most populated areas of Gaza City on Tuesday, a stark reminder for Gazans that Western powers' recognition of a Palestinian state does not mean an end to the horrors of war as tanks approach.
Reuters
Younes Zuhair, 27, also considered the international recognition an important breakthrough.
“Recognition makes us feel that the world is watching our cause seriously. It is important because we want a future and hope for a better life,” he said.
Opinion: Canada’s recognition of Palestinian statehood is a small but necessary step
Mr. Deeb questioned whether recognition would end the Hamas-Israel war and pave the way to a permanent peace. The conflict has killed at least 65,000 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, since it began in October, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and seizing 250 hostages.
“We want a Palestinian state, but certain conditions are essential, including stopping the killing, ending the blockade of Gaza, and real international pressure on Israel,” said Mr. Deeb. “Without practical support [to resolve these issues], the state remains just a distant dream.”
Mr. Zuhair agreed.
“We live in constant fear, and recognition alone does not protect us from death or guarantee safety,” he said.
Then there was the question of ending the broader conflict between Palestinians and Israelis that began in 1948 with the establishment of the state of Israel and the displacement of the Palestinian people.
Smoke rises from an Israeli strike as Palestinians flee northern Gaza.Dawoud Abu Alkas/Reuters
Munther Al-Haik, a spokesperson for Fatah, the political party led by Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said the move was not just symbolic but reflected the will of “free people who reject oppression and illegal occupation.”
“We welcome this recognition as a strong message that the occupation will end and that justice will prevail,” he said.
“Through this recognition, the international community affirms that occupation and settlements are illegal,” he added. In the West Bank, far-right Israeli settlers have built houses on land meant to be part of a future Palestinian state.
The recognition by Canada, Britain, Australia, France and Portugal carries special significance because it comes from Western countries with considerable political and economic influence, unlike most earlier recognitions that came mainly from the Global South, Mr. Al-Haik said.
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Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in Algiers in 1988, more than 130 countries have recognized the state of Palestine, including many in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
“But many Palestinians have felt that the absence of explicit recognition from major Western capitals left their cause marginalized in global decision-making circles,” said Mr. Al-Haik. “For this reason, today’s moves are viewed as an attempt to correct part of that historical imbalance, signalling that Western positions may be gradually shifting after decades of near total alignment with Israel.”
Walid Al-Awad, member of the political bureau of the Palestinian People’s Party, said the next steps to bring peace were clear: stopping the Hamas-Israel war, ending hunger in the Gaza Strip and protecting its citizens from further violence, ensuring Israel withdrew from land set aside for a Palestinian state, and stopping Israel from continuing to build settlements, and possibly annex, the West Bank.
He added that the quest for statehood was entering a new phase and Palestinians must also show the world their ability to build a civilized, democratic society that respects international law and human rights.