Palestinians across Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank greeted the wave of international recognition of a Palestinian state with cautious optimism, though many doubted it would ease their daily hardships.
On Monday, France, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco formally recognized a Palestinian state during a high-profile United Nations meeting aimed at rallying support for a two-state solution. Their announcements followed similar moves a day earlier by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal. More countries are expected to follow, despite opposition from Israel and the United States.
“The recognitions have strengthened Palestinian legitimacy by acknowledging the rights of the Palestinian people,” said Saeed Abu Elaish, a medic from the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza who lost more than two dozen relatives, including his wife and two daughters. He added that the move was also a call to end the bloodshed in Gaza and halt the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Others expressed deep skepticism. Huda Masawabi, among thousands displaced from Gaza City, dismissed the announcements as “worthless” while waiting in a long convoy of trucks heading south. “We just hope to God that someone outside would acknowledge us or even deal with us as mere human beings,” she said.
Despite the symbolic weight of these recognitions, analysts say they are unlikely to bring immediate relief. Israel continues its military offensive in Gaza, where famine looms, while settlement expansion in the West Bank accelerates.
In the long term, many world leaders still view the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem as the only viable path to peace. These territories, seized by Israel in the 1967 war, remain at the heart of the conflict that predates Hamas’ October 2023 attack by more than a century.
Israel’s government has long opposed Palestinian statehood, arguing it would embolden Hamas and threaten national security. Many Israelis also see the West Bank as the biblical and historical heartland of the Jewish people.
For Palestinians, the recognition of statehood offers a glimmer of hope. Yet without concrete action, many fear it will remain little more than words on paper.
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