Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. That's according to Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia.
Albanese confirmed that Australia received commitments from the Palestinian Authority to demilitarise, hold general elections and continue to recognise Israel's right to exist. As per the BBC, Israel maintains that recognising a Palestinian state "rewards terrorism."
Albanese's declaration follows similar moves by the UK, France, and Canada, as the situation worsens in Gaza. Since October 2023, more than 61,000 people have been killed as a result of Israel's military campaign.
Moreover, there has been increasing pressure from humanitarian groups to put an end to the fighting, as famine and thirst are said to be rife within Gaza. Over the weekend, five people have died as a result of starving and malnutrition, bringing the total number of such deaths to 217 according to the Hamas-led health ministry.