🇦🇺 Australia to Recognize Palestinian State at UN in September — PM Albanese

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia will formalize recognition of a Palestinian state at next month’s UN General Assembly, aligning Canberra with other Western allies calling for a two-state solution.

Zig Diaries World News
Date: Monday, 11 August 2025
Time: 19:45 WAT
Location: 📍 Canberra, Australia

Australia joins France, Britain, and Canada in declaring intent to recognize Palestinian statehood amid mounting criticism over Gaza crisis.

Australia will formally recognize a Palestinian state in September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Monday, marking a significant shift in Canberra’s Middle East policy.

Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting in Canberra, Albanese said the decision will be formalized during the United Nations General Assembly, bringing Australia in line with France, Britain, and Canada, whose leaders have also signaled support for Palestinian statehood.

The announcement comes after weeks of lobbying from within Albanese’s Cabinet and from advocacy groups in Australia urging the government to act, amid mounting outrage over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

The prime minister reiterated that recognition would be contingent on certain commitments — including no role for Hamas in a future Palestinian government, the demilitarization of Gaza, and the holding of democratic elections.

Albanese also revealed he had personally told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the situation in Gaza had "gone beyond the world’s worst fears," a statement that underscores Canberra’s sharp criticism of Israel’s recent plans for a sweeping new military offensive in the enclave.

The Albanese government has been increasingly vocal about the suffering and starvation in Gaza, with ministers calling for urgent humanitarian action.

Fact-check & background context:

·        France, Britain, and Canada have also recently expressed intent to recognize Palestinian statehood.

·        The Gaza war has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, with the UN warning of famine conditions.

·        Australia has historically supported a two-state solution but has refrained from formal recognition until now.

🏷️ Tags: Australia, Palestine, Anthony Albanese, Gaza, Middle East, UN General Assembly, Israel
#Australia #Palestine #AnthonyAlbanese #Gaza #MiddleEast #UNGA