Norway, Spain and Ireland on Wednesday announced that they will recognise the Palestinian state. The historic announcement was made in a coordinated move within the three European countries, who collectively believe that the recognition of the Arab state is essential for the resolution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The move is also expected to push other European Union countries who are considering to recognise the Palestinian state soon.

After the Palestinian recognition was announced, Israel immediately ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland. In the historic move by these European countries, first was Norway, whose Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said ''there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition.''

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that his country will recognise Palestine as a state on May 28. Speaking at the Spanish Parliament on Wednesday, Pedro Sanchez said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahyu is putting the two-state solution in ''danger'' with his policy of ''pain and destruction'' in Gaza.    

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said the recognition of Palestinian state is ''an historic and important day for Ireland and for Palestine,'' confirming his country’s stand for peaceful resolution of conflict in the middle-east.

Several European countries have in the past weeks indicated that they plan to make the recognition, arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region, which has witnessed several conflicts over the decades, leading to death, starvation and huge economic loss. 

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Requirements To Be Recognised As State 

The Montevideo Convention of 1933 established the accepted criteria for statehood, stipulating that a state must have a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the ability to engage in international relations.

Palestinian Territories 

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) officially declared the State of Palestine on November 15, 1988, asserting sovereignty over internationally recognised Palestinian territories, including the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. 

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List Of Countries Who Recognise Palestine 

The State of Palestine, as of May 2024, holds recognition as a sovereign state by 146 out of 193 member states within the United Nations. Here is the complete list of countries who recognise the Palestinian list till date. 

Algeria - 15 November 1988
Bahrain - 15 November 1988
Indonesia - 15 November 1988
Iraq - 15 November 1988
Kuwait - 15 November 1988
Libya - 15 November 1988
Malaysia - 15 November 1988
Mauritania - 15 November 1988
Morocco - 15 November 1988
Somalia - 15 November 1988
Tunisia - 15 November 1988
Turkey - 15 November 1988
Yemen - 15 November 1988
Afghanistan - 16 November 1988
Bangladesh - 16 November 1988
Cuba - 16 November 1988
Jordan - 16 November 1988
Madagascar - 16 November 1988
Malta - 16 November 1988
Nicaragua - 16 November 1988
Pakistan - 16 November 1988
Qatar - 16 November 1988
Saudi Arabia - 16 November 1988
UAE - 16 November 1988
Serbia - 16 November 1988
Zambia - 16 November 1988
Albania - 17 November 1988
Brunei - 17 November 1988
Djibouti - 17 November 1988
Mauritius - 17 November 1988
Sudan - 17 November 1988
Cyprus - 18 November 1988
Czech Republic - 18 November 1988
Slovakia - 18 November 1988
Egypt - 18 November 1988
The Gambia - 18 November 1988
India - 18 November 1988
Nigeria - 18 November 1988
Seychelles - 18 November 1988
Sri Lanka - 18 November 1988
Namibia - 19 November 1988
Russia - 19 November 1988
Belarus - 19 November 1988
Ukraine - 19 November 1988
Vietnam - 19 November 1988
China - 20 November 1988
Burkina Faso - 21 November 1988
Comoros - 21 November 1988
Guinea - 21 November 1988
Guinea-Bissau - 21 November 1988
Cambodia - 21 November 1988
Mali - 21 November 1988
Mongolia - 22 November 1988
Senegal - 22 November 1988
Hungary - 23 November 1988
Cape Verde - 24 November 1988
North Korea - 24 November 1988
Niger - 24 November 1988
Romania - 24 November 1988
Tanzania - 24 November 1988
Bulgaria - 25 November 1988
Maldives - 28 November 1988
Ghana - 29 November 1988
Togo - 29 November 1988
Zimbabwe - 29 November 1988
Chad - 1 December 1988
Laos - 2 December 1988
Sierra Leone - 3 December 1988
Uganda - 3 December 1988
Republic of the Congo - 5 December 1988
Angola - 6 December 1988
Mozambique - 8 December 1988
São Tomé and Príncipe - 10 December 1988
Gabon - 12 December 1988
Oman - 13 December 1988
Poland - 14 December 1988
Democratic Republic of the Congo - 18 December 1988
Botswana - 19 December 1988
Nepal - 19 December 1988
Burundi - 22 December 1988
Central African Republic - 23 December 1988
Bhutan - 25 December 1988
Rwanda - 2 January 1989
Ethiopia - 4 February 1989
Iran - 4 February 1989
Benin - 12 May 1989
Kenya - 12 May 1989
Equatorial Guinea - May 1989
Vanuatu - 21 August 1989
Philippines - 4 September 1989
Eswatini - 1 July 1991
Kazakhstan - 6 April 1992
Azerbaijan - 15 April 1992
Turkmenistan - 17 April 1992
Georgia - 25 April 1992
Bosnia and Herzegovina - 27 May 1992
Tajikistan - 2 April 1994
Uzbekistan - 25 September 1994
Papua New Guinea - 4 October 1994
South Africa - 15 February 1995
Kyrgyzstan - November 1995
Malawi - 23 October 1998
East Timor - 1 March 2004
Paraguay - 25 March 2005
Montenegro - 24 July 2006
Costa Rica - 5 February 2008
Lebanon - 30 November 2008
Ivory Coast - 1 December 2008
Venezuela - 27 April 2009
Dominican Republic - 15 July 2009
Brazil - 1 December 2010
Argentina - 6 December 2010
Bolivia - 17 December 2010
Ecuador - 24 December 2010
Chile - 7 January 2011
Guyana - 13 January 2011
Peru - 24 January 2011
Suriname - 26 January 2011
Uruguay - 15 March 2011
Lesotho - 3 May 2011
South Sudan - 14 July 2011
Syria - 18 July 2011
Liberia - 19 July 2011
El Salvador - 25 August 2011
Honduras - 26 August 2011
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - 29 August 2011
Belize - 9 September 2011
Dominica - 19 September 2011
Antigua and Barbuda - 22 September 2011
Grenada - 25 September 2011
Iceland - 15 December 2011
Thailand - 18 January 2012
Guatemala - 9 April 2013
Haiti - 27 September 2013
Sweden - 30 October 2014
Saint Lucia - 14 September 2015
Colombia - 3 August 2018
Saint Kitts and Nevis - 29 July 2019
Mexico - 2 June 2023
Barbados - 19 April 2024
Jamaica - 22 April 2024
Trinidad and Tobago - 2 May 2024
The Bahamas - 7 May 2024
Ireland - 28 May 2024
Norway - 28 May 2024
Spain - 28 May 2024