BREAKING: Canada to recognize Palestine in September if ‘conditions are met,’ says PM Carney

Carney made the announcement during a press briefing on Parliament Hill, appearing alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. The announcement follows cabinet-level discussions of trade talks and developments in the Middle East.

“Canada will always steadfastly support Israel’s existence as an independent state in the Middle East living in peace and security,” Carney told reporters, according to iPolitics. “Any path to lasting peace for Israel also requires a viable and stable Palestinian state, and one that recognizes Israel’s inalienable right to security and peace.”

He said the formal recognition would proceed if “conditions are met,” and called on Hamas to release all hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attacks.

“Canada intends to recognize Palestine at United Nations General Assembly’s next session in September,” he added.

The announcement from Ottawa comes one day after a similar declaration from the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated Tuesday that his government would also recognize Palestinian statehood by September unless Israel shows progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza.

“I have always said that we will recognize a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution,” Starmer said during a press briefing. “I can confirm the UK will recognize the State of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September, unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.”

Starmer made the comments shortly after a Cabinet meeting in London, one day after standing alongside U.S. President Donald Trump in Scotland, where both leaders condemned the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Starmer also cited pressure from within his own Labour Party and international partners, including France, where President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to support Palestinian recognition in the fall.

“The British people have been revolted by what they’ve seen,” Starmer said, referencing widespread public anger over conditions in Gaza. “This cannot continue.”

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