Calls for Palestinian state grow louder

In a growing shift within the international community, three G7 nations have moved toward recognizing Palestinian statehood, fueling broader calls for the implementation of the two-state solution and raising alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, experts say.

On July 24, French President Emmanuel Macron said France will recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, making it the first G7 country to do so.

"The urgent need today is to end the war in Gaza and to rescue the civilian population," he said on X. "We must build the State of Palestine."

Five days later, the United Kingdom urged "immediate and meaningful" action to ease the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, or else the British government will recognize the State of Palestine in September to "protect the viability of the two-state solution".

In addition, Canada and Malta said on Wednesday they intended to recognize the State of Palestine in September.

During a UN conference on the two-state solution that concluded last week, Portugal and a group of other countries reexamined the issue and the conditions for recognizing the State of Palestine.

Following the meeting, 15 foreign ministers signed a joint statement, saying they will consider formally recognizing the Palestinian state at the upcoming UN session.

China said the two-state solution is the only way out of the Palestinian question. "China firmly supports the Palestinian people in establishing the independent State of Palestine," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday.

Yan Wei, deputy director of the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies at China's Northwest University, said the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza is the key factor prompting Western countries to shift their stance on Palestinian statehood.

"Israel's actions in Gaza, which triggered a severe humanitarian crisis, were a direct factor behind the shift in these countries' positions," he said. "Public opinion, particularly in nations with significant Muslim populations such as France, also placed political pressure on governments to reconsider their stance."

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, Israeli military operations in the territory since October 2023 have resulted in more than 60,400 Palestinian deaths.

The authorities also reported that the death toll from hunger and malnutrition had risen to 175, including 93 children, since the conflict began.

Sun Degang, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said people in the UK and France increasingly recognize that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza constitutes a grave violation of humanitarian principles.

"The Israeli military's actions in Gaza, widely viewed as excessive and leading to mass civilian casualties, have sparked strong public backlash in these countries, prompting calls for their governments to recognize the State of Palestine and take measures to protect Palestinian civilians," Sun said.

Both Yan and Sun said that growing global support for Palestinian statehood is mounting pressure on Israel and the United States, potentially deepening their diplomatic isolation and counterbalancing Israel's military actions in Gaza.

Yan said tensions between the US and its allies over tariffs and strategic matters have escalated since Donald Trump returned to the office in January, prompting these countries to pursue strategic autonomy in global affairs increasingly.

"The allies' recognition of Palestine reflects both a reconstruction of their identity and dissatisfaction with the US hard-line policies. These two factors are driving the enhancement of their strategic independence."

Sun said the US and Israel are facing mounting public pressure over humanitarian concerns and risk deeper isolation on the global stage.

Facing rising international pressure, Washington may take minor steps to ease tensions in the Middle East, he said, noting it has sent special envoy Steve Witkoff to Tel Aviv.

The Trump administration, with its transactional style, is unlikely to impose stricter constraints on Israel following its allies' recognition of a Palestinian state, he said.

"However, it is expected to adopt a policy of tacit approval toward the two-state solution, thereby increasing pressure on Israel."

Yang Junyi in Beijing and agencies contributed to this story.