Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Wednesday that Canada intends to formally recognise a Palestinian state in September, becoming the third G7 country to do so following similar declarations by the United Kingdom and France.
Carney said the move is conditional on democratic reforms within the Palestinian Authority, including holding elections next year without the involvement of Hamas.
“This approach is no longer tenable,” Carney told reporters. “The prospect of a Palestinian state is being eroded before our eyes.”
The shift marks a significant departure from Canada’s longstanding position in support of a two-state solution achieved through negotiation.
Carney cited the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, worsening humanitarian conditions in Gaza, and the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel as key factors influencing the policy change.
“The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable and it is rapidly deteriorating,” he said.
Canada’s formal recognition will be made at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. The announcement comes amid mounting international pressure and follows similar timelines proposed by the UK and France, both of which said they would recognise Palestinian statehood unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and other conditions.
Israel swiftly condemned the move. In a statement posted to X, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Canada’s decision “harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages.”
It also labelled the announcement “a reward for Hamas.”
U.S. President Donald Trump also criticised the Canadian government’s stance. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.”
Canada is one of the United States’ largest trading partners. The White House is currently in talks with various governments ahead of a new wave of U.S. tariffs set to begin Friday.
Domestically, Carney’s announcement faced backlash from the opposition. The Conservative Party issued a statement saying: “Recognising a Palestinian state in the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist atrocities sends the wrong message to the world.”
Carney confirmed he had spoken with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas earlier on Wednesday to inform him of Canada’s intent.
The Palestinian Authority, controlled by Abbas’s Fatah party, governs parts of the West Bank, while Hamas maintains control of the Gaza Strip. Neither territory has held elections since 2006.
Carney stated that Canada’s recognition of Palestinian statehood would depend on commitments from the Palestinian Authority to carry out significant governance reforms and to demilitarise its territory.
Asked whether Canada was influenced by recent announcements from the UK and France or had coordinated with President Trump, Carney said Canada makes its foreign policy decisions independently.
“If France and the UK proceed with recognition, the United States will be the only permanent member of the UN Security Council not to recognise a Palestinian state,” he noted.
Support for Canada’s move has grown among the country’s diplomatic community. On Tuesday, nearly 200 former Canadian diplomats and ambassadors signed a letter urging Carney to support Palestinian statehood.
The letter argued that Canadian principles “are being abandoned daily with the massive displacement, indiscriminate bombardment and starvation of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the violent attacks by extremist settlers in the West Bank.”
As of now, 147 of the UN’s 193 member states formally recognise Palestine as a state.
In Gaza, where internet access and media coverage remain limited, some residents cautiously welcomed the news.
Imad Abu Shawish, a journalist based in the territory, wrote on Facebook: “Another slap to Israel – this time from Canada after France and the UK. Every recognition brings us a step closer to our dream of an independent state.”
The announcement comes as Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza in response to the October 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 60,000 people have been killed since the conflict began, with 154 deaths — including 89 children — attributed to malnutrition.
