Daily Times

Spain, Ireland and Norway formally recognised the Palestinian state on Tuesday in a coordinated decision slammed by Israel as a “reward” for Hamas, more than seven months into the devastating Gaza bombardment.

The three European countries believe their initiative has a strong symbolic impact that is likely to encourage others to follow suit, defying Israel which had condemned the plan.

After Ireland’s government formally approved the measure, Prime Minister Simon Harris said the aim was to keep Middle East peace hopes alive.

“We had wanted to recognise Palestine at the end of a peace process. However, we have made this move alongside Spain and Norway to keep the miracle of peace alive,” he said in a statement, urging Israel to “stop the humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza.

As Oslo’s recognition went into effect, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide hailed the move as “a special day for Norway-Palestine relations”. After Spain’s cabinet backed the move, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said it was a day that would be “etched in Spain’s history”.

Earlier, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the recognition was “essential” for peace, insisting the move was “not against anyone, least of all Israel” and the only way to secure a future of two states living side-by-side “in peace and security”.

The decision also reflected Spain’s “outright rejection of Hamas, which is against the two-state solution” and whose October 7 attacks led to the Gaza conflict, he added.

Tuesday’s move will mean 145 of the United Nations’ 193 member states now recognise Palestinian statehood.

On October 7, Hamas fighters stormed into southern Israel in an assault that killed more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

The Palestinian fighters also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza.

The Israeli army says 37 of them are dead.

Israel’s relentless retaliatory offensive, which has been globally and widely condemned, has killed more than 36,000 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Spain, Ireland and Norway will also jointly issue a “firm” response to Israel’s angry reaction to their decision to recognise a Palestinian state, Spain’s top diplomat said.

The plans unveiled last week by the three countries drew a furious response from Israel, which has lashed out, notably online with its Foreign Minister Israel Katz posting several contentious messages on X, the former Twitter.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares accused Katz of trying to divert attention from its actions.

“I am well aware that my Israeli colleague has spent days creating provocations, posting vile false allegations on social media about our government and the Irish and Norwegian governments,” Albares said.