ISTANBUL

Palestine hailed on Sunday the official recognition of its statehood by several countries ahead of the UN General Assembly meetings, saying the move would protect the two-state solution and achieve peace.

In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude to the UK, Canada, and Australia for their “courageous decisions” to officially recognize the state of Palestine, which came “in line with international law and legitimate UN resolutions.”

The ministry called the recognition “an acknowledgment of the just and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, and ensures the protection of the two-state solution from the continued crimes of genocide, starvation, displacement, and annexation” committed by Israel.