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©(Thomas COEX / AFP)
Recognizing Palestinian statehood is an "essential" step for achieving peace in the Middle East, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday.
"Recognition of the state of Palestine is not only a matter of historic justice... is it also an essential requirement if we are all to achieve peace," he said in a brief address before meeting his cabinet, insisting that it was "not against anyone, least of all Israel."
Israel slammed the announced move as a "reward" for the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement that rules Gaza.
"It is the only way to move towards the solution that we all recognize as the only possible way to achieve a peaceful future: that of a Palestinian state living side-by-side with the state of Israel in peace and security," said Sanchez.
He insisted that the move also demonstrated Spain's rejection of Hamas, which does not accept Israel's right to exist and whose unprecedented attacks on October 7 sparked the Gaza war.
"This decision also reflects our outright rejection of Hamas, which is against the two-state solution," he said.
Spain, Ireland and Norway will all formally recognize a Palestinian state on Tuesday.
They believe that their initiative has a strong symbolic impact that would likely encourage others to follow suit.
With AFP
"Recognition of the state of Palestine is not only a matter of historic justice... is it also an essential requirement if we are all to achieve peace," he said in a brief address before meeting his cabinet, insisting that it was "not against anyone, least of all Israel."
Israel slammed the announced move as a "reward" for the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement that rules Gaza.
"It is the only way to move towards the solution that we all recognize as the only possible way to achieve a peaceful future: that of a Palestinian state living side-by-side with the state of Israel in peace and security," said Sanchez.
He insisted that the move also demonstrated Spain's rejection of Hamas, which does not accept Israel's right to exist and whose unprecedented attacks on October 7 sparked the Gaza war.
"This decision also reflects our outright rejection of Hamas, which is against the two-state solution," he said.
Spain, Ireland and Norway will all formally recognize a Palestinian state on Tuesday.
They believe that their initiative has a strong symbolic impact that would likely encourage others to follow suit.
With AFP
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