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Canada will recognize a Palestinian state in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced.
Carney made the announcement on Wednesday, following France and the UK in a shift towards a broader global shift against Israel's policies in Gaza.
“The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” Carney said.
Carney’s announcement comes on day after Sir Keir Starmer announced a similar move on Tuesday – saying the move was dependent on Israel meeting certain conditions of a ceasefire. The Canadian PM said he had had a discussion with his UK counterpart prior to making the decision.
Like the UK, Canada intends to recognize the State of Palestine at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025.
Leaders are under mounting pressure over the issue as scenes of hunger in Gaza have horrified so many across the world.
In hi remarks Wednesday, Carney said the intention is predicated on the Palestinian Authority “holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.”
However, the PM said he was “not in any way or shape minimizing that scale of that task.”
“Clearly that’s not a possibility in the near term,” Carney said, adding that Canada has joined the efforts of other states to “preserve the possibility of a two state solution."
“Much has to happen before a democratic viable state is established,” he said.
It wasn't immediately clear how much of a condition Carney’s caveat represented, as elections in the devastated territory are unlikely.
Pressure to formally recognize Palestinian statehood has mounted since French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will become the first major Western power to recognize a Palestinian state in September.
As with France and the U.K., Canadian recognition would be largely symbolic, but it’s part of a broader global shift against Israel and could increase diplomatic pressure for an end to the conflict.
