Over the past month, country after country has announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. French President Emmanuel Macron set the tone, followed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with ten more states—including Australia and Canada—soon following suit.

The Palestinian Authority greeted the announcements with satisfaction, claiming credit for years of vigorous diplomatic work that it vows to intensify in the coming weeks. PA leaders stressed the importance of the declarations as a decisive step on the road to declaring a Palestinian state. Hamas also welcomed the move. Senior official Ghazi Hamad insisted that the recognition was a direct result of the October 7 attack. At the same time, he criticized Abu Mazen for suggesting that a future Palestinian state could be established without the armed wings of  the Palestinian factions, making clear that Hamas will not lay down its weapons.

Palestinian social media reflected mixed reactions. Many users dismissed the recognition as meaningless, since much of the land remains under Israeli control. Others accused Western states of hypocrisy, noting that they continue to supply weapons to Israel. Still others praised Mahmoud Abbas for what they saw as a diplomatic victory.

No organized or spontaneous demonstrations have yet materialized, though such a response may emerge in the run-up to the September UN session. For now, the Palestinian street is more concerned with daily economic hardships and the cost of living weigh than diplomatic gains that are unlikely to change their situation.

Declarations of intent to recognize a Palestinian state

Since President Emmanuel Macron’s July 24 declaration that France would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly In September,[1] more states have lined up behind the initiative. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer quickly followed, and on July 30 Malta announced it would join France in recognizing a Palestinian state during the General Assembly. That same day, nine more governments—Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Portugal, and San Marino—issued a joint statement declaring their intent to do the same. Together they add to a growing list of countries, including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Norway, that have already recognized or pledged recognition.[2]

Palestinian Authority reactions

Abbas personally phoned many of the leaders who declared their intent to recognize a Palestinian state, congratulating them and arguing that the move advances and entrenches the two-state solution. He urged other states to follow suit.

Hussein al-Sheikh, deputy chairman of the PA, publicly thanked Canada, Malta, and Portugal, declaring that their stance strengthens the camp committed to two states.[3] On July 24, al-Sheikh posted on his X account, thanking Macron directly for his decision.[4]

Other senior figures echoed those sentiments. Nabil Amr, a veteran Fatah leader and former PA minister, told Sky News Arabic on August 13 that the wave of recognition was nothing less than a “tsunami.” According to him, the entire international community had already decided in principle to back Palestinian statehood, and current debates focus only on the contours of such a state and how to ensure it does not threaten Israel’s security.[5]

Mohammad Shtayyeh, another senior Fatah official and former PA prime minister, told Ajyal Radio on July 28 that the recognition carries enormous weight, since the Palestinian issue is at the top of the global agenda right now. Macron’s declaration, he said, was part of the Palestinian right to self-determination and would eventually yield an official proclamation of statehood under “Israeli occupation.” He added that global public opinion supports the Palestinian cause, which justifies continued diplomatic pressure.[6]

The official PA news agency WAFA joined in. On August 6, it published an article by Mahmoud Abu Abiya arguing that the wave of recognition sends Israel a message: the two-state solution is the only way to achieve peace, security, and stability in the region. He cited Palestinian Deputy Foreign Minister Omar Awadallah, who described the move as a clear affirmation of the Palestinian right to self-determination and independence. Awadallah stated that recognition reshapes the equation, demonstrating that a Palestinian state is essential for peace and security. He stressed that recognition means acceptance of the 1967 borders, leaving Israel with no sovereignty in the occupied territories. He also pointed to economic, commercial, and legal consequences, including the ability to take Israel to international courts for its actions against Palestinians. In his view, recognition also enhances the PA’s diplomatic standing in the recognizing states and moves it closer to full UN membership.[7]

Reactions from Hamas

Hamas quickly added its voice. On July 25, it released a statement welcoming Macron’s move as a positive step toward recognizing Palestinian rights and establishing an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. The statement portrayed the decision as proof of Israel’s failure to distort the truth or suppress popular demands for freedom, while increasing political and moral pressure on Israel.[8]

Senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera on August 2,  that recognition was one of the fruits of the October 7 attack, which he said forced the world to take the Palestinian issue seriously. He cited global demonstrations against Israel’s actions in Gaza, charges of “genocide,” and calls to put Israel’s prime minister on trial at the International Criminal Court as proof.

Hamad blasted Abbas’s comments about the factions being demilitarized in a Palestinian state, declaring that Hamas will never disarm or give up even a single bullet. Handing over weapons, he argued, would mean ending the Palestinian cause itself. Arms are the source of Palestinian dignity, he said, and the reason international recognition was achieved in the first place. Israel demands Hamas disarm precisely because it wants a weak adversary, Hamad said, adding that Abbas fails to grasp that Israel does not seek peace and that the United States is no ally of the Palestinians.[9]

The Palestinian street

Hamad’s remarks on Al Jazeera drew harsh criticism on Palestinian social media. Many users said they cared less about “victory” than about ending Israeli military operations in Gaza. They accused Hamas of destroying Gaza and leading the territory into the worst situation in its history. Some mocked Hamad for lecturing them from the comfort of Qatar while refusing to surrender weapons. Others argued that the October 7 attack had nothing to do with achieving international recognition of statehood.[10]

The online debate underscored the divide on the Palestinian street. Some users praised Abbas on his Facebook page, wishing him long life and good health, and crediting the recognition to his diplomatic efforts. Others dismissed the issue as irrelevant. They argued that recognition comes at a time when so many Palestinians have been killed in Gaza that there are none left to “recognize,” that Palestine has long existed without the need for outside recognition, that Western states are hypocritical in recognizing statehood while supplying weapons to Israel, and that recognition remains incomplete as long as territories remain under Israeli control.

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[1] According to Palestinian reports, 147 of the 193 UN member states now recognize a Palestinian state—more than 75 percent of all UN members.

[2] https://www.jdn.co.il/news/2452552

[3] https://x.com/HusseinSheikhpl/status/1950949140289957998

[4] https://x.com/HusseinSheikhpl/status/1948467363881324836

[5]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK5HYDBEePc&t=1003s&ab_channel=%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9

[6] https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1111900864334895

[7] https://www.wafa.ps/Pages/Details/127334

[8] https://felesteen.news/post/167358/%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AD%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%B3%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%A8%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%A4%D9%83%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%83%D8%B3-%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A

[9]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qaqkqlz6v04&ab_channel=AlJazeeraMubasher%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A9%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%B1

[10] https://www.facebook.com/MaanNews/posts/%D9%88%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%8A-%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%89-%D8%AB%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B9-/1080799314264539

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