ISTANBUL/RAMALLAH, Palestine

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

In a statement Sunday, 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.

In a separate statement, the ministry welcomed Portugal’s official recognition of the Palestinian state, extending its appreciation “to Portugal, its president, government and people and affirms the state of Palestine’s determination to build stronger and deeper bilateral relations with Portugal and to enhance joint coordination across all fields.”

It urged the countries that have not recognized the state of Palestine to take similar steps “in order to safeguard the two-state solution.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also welcomed the Western recognition of statehood as “a crucial and necessary step on the path to achieving just and lasting peace, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.”

“The recognition of the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, freedom and independence will pave the way for the implementation of the two-state solution,” Abbas said in a statement carried by the official news agency Wafa.

Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh also expressed his gratitude to the three countries for their recognition, which he called “an international victory for justice, rights and for those who suffer displacement and oppression.”

“A historic day in the lives of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights. This is the fruit of your patience, steadfastness, perseverance and sacrifices,” Sheikh said on the US social media company X’s platform.

The Palestinian group Hamas considered the recognition “an important step in affirming the right of the Palestinian people to their land and holy sites and in establishing their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Hamas called for taking “practical measures” that will lead to “an immediate cessation of the brutal genocidal war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip” and will confront “the plans of annexation and Judaization of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.”

UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where nearly 65,300 people have been killed since October 2023.

Around three-quarters of UN member states already recognize Palestine, with Ireland, Spain and Norway having formalized recognition last year.