Luxembourg has announced its intention to join several countries in recognizing the State of Palestine at a United Nations session in New York next week.
French President Emmanuel Macron is leading the initiative to recognize a Palestinian state as global condemnation of Israel intensifies due to its nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza.
In a statement to the media late Monday, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden remarked that “the situation on the ground has significantly deteriorated in recent months.”
“A movement is currently emerging in Europe and globally to illustrate that the two-state solution remains pertinent,” Frieden stated.
The Luxembourg government aims to align with those acknowledging the State of Palestine at the next conference on the two-state solution.
Countries such as Britain, Australia, Canada, and Belgium have announced their intention to recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly conference.
Israel and its partner, the United States, have condemned the initiative, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stating on Monday that the action “emboldened” Hamas.
The conflict in Gaza was initiated by Hamas’ assault on Israel in October 2023, which led to the fatalities of 1,219 individuals, predominantly civilians, as per an AFP compilation of official statistics.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza have resulted in a death toll of at least 64,905 individuals, predominantly civilians, as reported by the territory’s health ministry, which the United Nations regards as credible.
On Tuesday, UN investigators accused Israel of perpetrating “genocide” in Gaza with the intent to “exterminate the Palestinians,” attributing responsibility to Israel’s prime minister and other senior authorities for inciting.
