Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday that Canada will formally recognize the State of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September, joining a growing list of Western powers seeking to pressure Israel over its war in Gaza and the escalating humanitarian disaster there.
Carney said the decision comes amid worsening conditions in the besieged Gaza Strip, where aid restrictions and ongoing hostilities have triggered severe hunger. “The prospect of a Palestinian state is literally receding before our eyes,” Carney told reporters, condemning Israel’s role in what he described as a “catastrophe.”
Canada’s move follows similar announcements from France and Britain, both of which have signaled readiness to recognize Palestinian statehood unless the fighting halts before September.
Carney noted the decision was based partly on assurances from the Palestinian Authority (PA) that it is undertaking governance reforms and intends to hold general elections in 2026, explicitly excluding Hamas from participation.
The shift by traditionally staunch allies of Israel underscores growing global frustration with the Gaza conflict, which erupted after Hamas’s October 2023 attacks killed around 1,200 people in Israel and led to the abduction of 251 others. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has since claimed over 60,000 lives in Gaza, according to its health ministry, and destroyed large swathes of the enclave.
Humanitarian agencies have warned of imminent famine, with the Gaza health ministry reporting 154 starvation-related deaths, including at least 89 children. On Wednesday alone, seven more people reportedly died from hunger, while at least 50 were killed in northern Gaza as they scrambled for aid from U.N. trucks, according to the Hamas-run government.
Israel and the United States swiftly rejected Carney’s declaration. The Israeli Foreign Ministry called it a “reward for Hamas,” warning it undermines ceasefire efforts. U.S. President Donald Trump echoed that view, while his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is set to visit Israel Thursday to discuss the crisis.
Critics argue the recognition risks alienating Israel and offers little leverage without conditions. “Symbolic as it may be, Canada’s move could strain relations with a long-time ally,” said Jonathan Panikoff, a former senior U.S. intelligence official.
Meanwhile, voices inside Israel are pushing a hardline response. Security cabinet member Zeev Elkin floated the idea of annexing parts of Gaza, and far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich advocated reestablishing Jewish settlements in the strip.
Despite Israel’s pledge to allow daily 10-hour humanitarian pauses, aid groups say the relief remains grossly inadequate. A U.N. agency said aid volumes brought in during the initial ceasefire windows “remain far from enough.”
While international support for Palestinian statehood grows, families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas have urged world leaders to delay recognition until their loved ones are freed. “This legitimizes war crimes,” said the Hostages Family Forum.
In Gaza, residents like Saed al-Akhras see the shift differently. “For the first time, the world is listening,” he said. “We’ve suffered too long. Enough.”
Written By Rodney Mbua
