The Belgian government has said it will officially recognise the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly this month.
The country’s foreign minister, Maxime Prevot, announced it will join the UK, France, Canada, and Australia in recognising a Palestinian state.
Belgium will also introduce “firm sanctions” against the Israeli government, he said, including a ban on imports from West Bank settlements and possible judicial prosecutions.
The Israeli foreign ministry and its Belgian embassy have not yet commented on the announcement.
However, its foreign ministry previously said the UK’s plan to recognise Palestine “constitutes a reward for Hamas”.
Read more: What does recognising a Palestinian state mean?
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Sir Keir Starmer announced in July that the UK would recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel meets certain conditions, those being:
• Israel takes substantive steps to end the “appalling situation in Gaza“
• Israel agrees to a ceasefire
• Israel commits to a long-term sustainable peace – reviving the prospect of a two-state solution
• Israel must allow the UN to restart the supply of aid
• There must be no annexations in the West Bank
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In response, the Israeli foreign ministry said: “The shift in the British government’s position at this time, following the French move and internal political pressures, constitutes a reward for Hamas and harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages.”
The UN General Assembly session in New York will begin on 9 September. Ireland, Spain, and Norway all officially recognised a Palestinian state last year.
Out of the 193 United Nations member states, 147 already recognise Palestine as a state as of March 2025.
Earlier this month, Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans to build a new settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which he said would “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state.
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It comes after US secretary of state Marco Rubio revoked the visas of 81 delegates from the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) – blocking them from attending the general assembly.
Under a 1947 UN agreement, the US is generally required to allow access for foreign diplomats to the UN in New York.
But Washington has said it can deny visas for security, extremism and foreign policy reasons.
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The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza is now more than 63,000, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
It added that nine more people, including three children, died of malnutrition and starvation over Monday, raising deaths from such causes to at least 348, including 127 children.
The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 others hostage.
