Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday that Australia will officially recognise the State of Palestine during the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September. The move follows similar decisions by France, Britain, and Canada, and is aimed at bolstering international momentum towards a two-state solution, a ceasefire in Gaza, and the release of hostages.
Albanese said the recognition is contingent on assurances from the Palestinian Authority, including that the militant group Hamas will have no role in any future Palestinian state. He emphasised that “a two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza.”
The announcement came after a cabinet meeting and days after Albanese spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging a political rather than a military resolution. Australia recently criticised Israel’s plan to take military control of Gaza, with Albanese saying the recognition decision was “further compelled” by Netanyahu’s refusal to heed international calls and his government’s expansion of illegal settlements, annexation threats, and opposition to a Palestinian state.
Albanese noted that reforms promised by the Palestinian Authority, including governance improvements, demilitarisation, and holding elections—alongside Arab League demands for Hamas to relinquish control in Gaza—presented “an opportunity to isolate Hamas.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Wellington will “carefully weigh up its position over the next month” on whether to recognise a Palestinian state.
