By Tass
Copyright tass
TEL AVIV, September 21. /TASS/. Israel categorically rejects unilateral statements by a number of countries on recognizing the state of Palestine, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in an official statement.
“Israel categorically rejects the one-sided declaration of the recognition of a Palestinian state made by the United Kingdom and some other countries. This declaration does not promote peace, but on the contrary – further destabilizes the region and undermines the chances of achieving a peaceful solution in the future,” the statement reads.
“Called by Hamas leaders ‘the fruits of the October 7 massacre,’ the declaration not only rewards the biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust by a terror organization that is calling and acting for the annihilation of Israel, but also solidifies the support Hamas enjoys,” the diplomatic agency noted.
“It is destructive to separate statehood – one of the final status issues – from peace. This move goes against all logic of negotiation and reaching a compromise between two sides, and it will push the desired peace further away. Moreover, The Palestinian Authority did not meet any of its requirements and obligations; it did not stop neither the incitement, nor the pay-for-slay policy, nor did it take the required measures to combat terrorism – as demonstrated recently with the discovery of rockets and missiles near Ramallah last week. The Palestinian Authority is part of the problem and not part of the solution. This is also the reason why the United States imposed sanctions on the Palestinian Authority and prevented its senior officials from entering its territory,” the ministry stressed.
“In any case, Israel will not accept any detached and imaginary text that attempts to force it to accept indefensible borders. Political gestures aimed at a domestic voting audience only harm the Middle East and are not helpful. Instead, if the countries that signed this declaration truly wish to stabilize the region, they should focus on pressuring Hamas to release the hostages and to disarm immediately,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry concluded.
Tensions erupted again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza-based Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise incursion into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of border settlements and seizing hostages. In response, Israel initiated a military operation in the enclave to dismantle Hamas’ military and political structure and rescue all those kidnapped.
On September 19, in an open letter, the US Republican Party threatened allied countries with response measures should they recognize Palestine as an independent state. The letter was addressed to Australia, the UK, Canada and France, among others.
On Sunday, the UK, Canada and Australia made announcements that they had recognized Palestinian statehood.