The Hamas Movement has welcomed a wave of new international recognitions of the State of Palestine, hailing the development as a “crucial step” toward upholding the rights of the Palestinian people.

In a statement released on Sunday, Hamas praised the decisions by the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia to officially recognize Palestine, joining more than 150 countries worldwide that have already done so. The Movement also acknowledged the announcements by France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra, and San Marino, all of whom have declared their intention to recognize Palestine ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York this week.

“These recognitions represent an important step in affirming the Palestinian people’s right to their land and holy sites, and in establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” the statement read. Hamas described the move as a long-overdue acknowledgment of decades of Palestinian struggle, sacrifice, and steadfastness in the face of occupation.

However, the Movement stressed that symbolic gestures alone are insufficient, urging the international community to translate recognition into concrete action to halt Israel’s ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip. “Recognition must be accompanied by practical measures to stop the genocide in Gaza, resist Israeli annexation plans, and confront Judaization efforts in the West Bank and Jerusalem,” Hamas said.

The statement also called on the United Nations and its agencies to take decisive measures, including isolating Israel diplomatically, ending all forms of cooperation and security coordination with it, and bringing Israeli leaders to trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Hamas reiterated that Palestinian resistance is a “natural and lawful right, guaranteed by international law,” and urged world governments to support Palestinians in their pursuit of liberation, return, and self-determination.

Sunday’s wave of recognitions comes amid Israel’s nearly two-year-long military campaign in Gaza, which Palestinian health authorities say has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions. Israeli officials reacted angrily to the recognitions, warning of “retaliatory measures” and accusing Western governments of undermining Israel’s security.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the decision, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “Today, we recognized the State of Palestine to revive hope for peace between Palestinians and Israelis. We join over 150 countries in recognizing Palestine. We are working to keep the hope of peace and a two-state solution alive.”

But Starmer also announced plans to expand sanctions on Hamas officials, insisting that the group must have “no role” in any future Palestinian governance or security arrangements. Hamas denounced such conditions as undemocratic and contrary to the will of the Palestinian people, who see resistance factions as central to their national cause.

By the conclusion of this year’s UNGA session, diplomatic observers expect 147 of the 193 UN member states to have formally recognized Palestine. With the UK’s recognition and France’s anticipated announcement, four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — China, Russia, the UK, and France — will have formally acknowledged the Palestinian state, leaving only the United States opposed.

Palestinian Authority officials welcomed the wave of recognitions as a boost for diplomatic efforts but faced criticism from resistance factions for failing to take stronger steps to confront Israeli aggression.

For Hamas, the latest recognitions underscore a shifting international consensus. “The world is beginning to see through Israeli lies,” the statement concluded, “but this must be the beginning of real accountability, not the end of it.” (ILKHA)