Portugal said it is recognising a Palestinian state, making it the latest Western nation to make the symbolic move as the war in Gaza shows no sign of ending.
"Recognising the State of Palestine is therefore the fulfilment of a fundamental, consistent, and widely agreed policy," Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel told reporters in New York ahead of the annual UN General Assembly, which opens tomorrow.
"Portugal advocates the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace, one that promotes co-existence and peaceful relations between Israel and Palestine," he added.
Earlier today, Britain, Australia and Canada recognised a Palestinian state in a seismic shift in decades of western foreign policy.
"Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
Britain and Canada became the first G7 countries to take the step, with France and other nations expected to follow at the annual UN General Assembly which opens tomorrow in New York.
Watch: Keir Starmer announces UK recognition of Palestinian state
"Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their decades-long ambitions for statehood, with the most powerful western nations having long argued it should only come as part of a negotiated peace deal with Israel.
But the move puts those countries at odds with the United States and Israel, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacting angrily and vowing to oppose it at the UN talks.
Calls for a Palestinian state "would endanger our existence and serve as absurd reward for terrorism," Mr Netanyahu said.
"And I have another message for you: It will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River," he said in a statement.
Mr Netanyahu said Israel's response will be announced when he returns from the United States, where he is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump.
Today, Canada recognises the State of Palestine. pic.twitter.com/zhumVJRBfe
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) September 21, 2025
A growing number of longtime allies have shifted positions, as Israel has intensified its Gaza offensive, vowing to eliminate Hamas Palestinian militants.
Gaza has suffered vast destruction, a spiralling death toll and a lack of food that has sparked a major humanitarian crisis since the start of the conflict which has drawn an international outcry.
The UK government has come under increasing public pressure to act, with thousands rallying every month on the streets. A poll released by YouGov on Friday showed two-thirds of young Britons aged 18-25 supported Palestinian statehood.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy acknowledged at the UN in July that "Britain bears a special burden of responsibility to support the two-state solution".
Over a century ago, the UK was pivotal in laying the groundwork for the creation of the state of Israel through the 1917 Balfour Declaration.
Three-quarters of UN members already recognise Palestinian statehood, with over 140 of the 193 having taken the step, including Ireland.
Mr Starmer said in July that his Labour government intended to recognise a Palestinian State unless Israel took "substantive" steps including reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, getting more aid into the territory and confirming it would not annex the West Bank.
Mr Starmer has also repeatedly called on Hamas to release the remaining hostages they captured in the 2023 attack, and is expected to set out new sanctions on the Palestinian militants.
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Mr Lammy told the BBC that the Palestinian Authority - the civilian body that governs in areas of the West Bank - had been calling for the move for some time "and I think a lot of that is wrapped up in hope".
"Will this feed children? No it won't, that's down to humanitarian aid. Will this free hostages? That must be down to a ceasefire."
But he said it was an attempt to "hold out for" a two-state solution.
Palestinian foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said last week: "Recognition is not symbolic."
"It sends a very clear message to the Israelis on their illusions on continuing their occupation forever," she added.
Hamas's 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures.
Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed at least 65,208 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gazan health ministry that the United Nations considers reliable.
