The horror unfolding in Gaza has reached a breaking point, with over 60,000 people killed since Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel. Now, with Israeli soldiers repeatedly opening fire on desperate Palestinians trying to reach food and children starving, a growing number of countries are finally saying: enough. If Israel won’t agree to a ceasefire and commit to a genuine two-state solution, Palestine must be recognised — now. 🇵🇸
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this week Britain will formally recognise Palestine by September – unless Israel makes “substantive” moves toward peace. It’s a major shift from a traditional ally. Fourteen nations, including France and Spain, are also backing Palestinian statehood, with others like Canada and Australia now open to the idea. The West is finally waking up, and it’s about time: 147 out of 193 countries in the UN have long recognised Palestine – most in the Global South.
The push for Palestinian statehood — and the right to self-determination free from Israel’s control — has been blocked for decades, largely by Israel and powerful allies like the US. While Israel argues that unilateral recognition would reward terrorism, critics say it has long used stalled negotiations and expanding illegal settlements to undermine the creation of a viable Palestinian state.
Israel has slated the new recognition, but public opinion is shifting – nearly half of Brits now support recognising Palestine, and people are calling on their governments to take a stand.
And how could they not? The images coming out of Gaza are beyond words. Five-month-old Zainab Abu Halib died last week, weighing less than she did at birth. She is one of at least 85 children now confirmed to have died of starvation. Her family couldn’t access the formula she needed. The UN says the hunger crisis is the worst it’s seen this century.
Israel ordered a “total blockade” including international aid on the Gaza Strip when the war first started in October 2023, with some exceptions over time. In March this year, Israel again blocked all aid, saying it was to prevent the smuggling of weapons into the territory. Al Jazeera reports the Israeli military also often attacks life-saving aid convoys, saying “terrorists” are being targeted, without providing evidence. This has led to the UN and other aid agencies withdrawing staff at times.
Israel recently ‘compromised’ in the face of global outrage, allowing air dropping aid into the strip from Sunday this week. But aid workers say these drops are inefficient and unsafe – 11 were wounded when an air drop landed on tents housing the displaced.
What’s happening in Gaza is unconscionable. It’s past time to stand firmly on the side of justice.
