Palestinians welcome more recognition of Palestine state

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates have issued their welcome of Norway, Spain, and Ireland's recognition of the state of Palestine, WAFA News Agency reported.

On Wednesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris all announced their countries will recognize Palestinian statehood, Xinhua News Agency reported.

In a statement, Palestinian authorities said that with this "important step", these countries "once again showed their firm commitment to the two-state solution and achieving long-awaited justice for the Palestinian people".

It also stressed that the recognitions "come in line with international law and all relevant United Nations resolutions", which in turn "will contribute positively to all international efforts aimed at ending the illegal Israeli occupation and achieving peace and stability in the region".

Israel are recalling ambassadors to these countries, Xinhua reported.

The United Nations General Assembly on May 10 voted for a historic resolution, which saw 143 votes in favor of supporting the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member, with nine voting against, including the US and Israel, and 25 members abstaining, including the United Kingdom.

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli's aggressive military operation on the Gaza Strip has surpassed 35,000 while injuring more than 79,000, health authorities in the Palestinian enclave said on May 21.

Israel launched a retaliatory operation in Gaza after Hamas conducted a surprise attack on the southern Israeli border on Oct 7 last year, in which about 1,200 people were killed and around 200 were taken as hostages.

Elsewhere, more than 1,400 academics and administrators from higher education institutions across Israel have signed a petition urging the Israeli government "to end its war on Gaza and secure the return of captives held in the Palestinian enclave", Al Jazeera reported on May 22.

Al Jazeera said the petition — titled "A Call on the Israeli Government to End the War and Ensure the Return of the Hostages" — underscored that ending the conflict and returning the hostages were "moral imperatives that align with Israel's interests".

Further, the signatories added that while they supported Israel's right to self-defense, the initial purpose had been "exhausted" and doubted the government's right to wage war without a realistic end or one aimed at the political survival of the leadership, the report said.