Crystal Charles
Portugal has announced it will recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday, September 21, 2025, joining a growing list of Western nations preparing to shift policy as the war in Gaza continues.
The foreign ministry confirmed the decision on Saturday, ahead of next week’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. France, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia are also expected to make similar announcements.
Israel has condemned the move, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that it “rewards terror” following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has echoed that position. During a state visit to the UK this week, President Donald Trump, speaking alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, said he opposed recognition.
Currently, about three-quarters of the UN’s 193 members recognise a Palestinian state, which in 2012 was granted the status of non-member observer state.
The announcement comes as Israeli tanks and troops press deeper into Gaza City, part of a ground offensive that has displaced thousands. The assault began in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in 2023.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 65,141 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on the territory since then.