Spain, Ireland and Norway are set to formally recognize a Palestinian state today, a move that will strengthen the global Palestinian cause but has further strained relations between Europe and Israel.
The three European nations say their historic decision is the best way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East, but it drew swift condemnation from Israel, as its foreign minister ordered the immediate withdrawal of its ambassadors from those countries.
Most of the world already recognizes the Palestinian state: More than 140 of the 193 member states of the United Nations have made their recognition official. But only a few nations of the 27-member European Union are among them. Nations that do not include Israel's staunch allies such as the United States and Germany.
On May 10, a non-binding vote in the UN General Assembly showed overwhelming international support for an independent Palestinian state, leaving the United States and some of Israel's allies isolated. Israel and the United States maintain that a Palestinian state should only be established through a negotiated agreement.
Pressure on Israel: The planned recognition symbolizes the enormous pressure Israel is under after seven months of war that has devastated Gaza, caused a humanitarian crisis and killed more than 36,000 people in Gaza since October 7.
It comes after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to immediately stop its military operation in Rafah. And Israel faces unprecedented levels of diplomatic pressure to halt its military offensive in Gaza.
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