PORTUGAL WILL OFFICIALLY recognise a Palestinian state on Sunday, the country’s foreign ministry said. 

It comes ahead of a UN General Assembly where around ten other countries are set to do the same. 

“The ministry of foreign affairs confirms that Portugal will recognise the State of Palestine… the official declaration of recognition will be made on Sunday, 21 September,” a statement on the ministry’s website said.

Lisbon had already announced in July that it intended to do so given the “extremely worrying evolution of the conflict”, as well as the humanitarian crisis and Israel’s repeated threats to annex Palestinian land.

Britain, Canada and France are among the other Western nations planning to give a Palestinian state recognition at the assembly, which comes as Israel’s offensive in Gaza grinds on.

Earlier this month, Belgium said it will formally recognise the state at the UN General Assembly this month.

In July, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would recognise a Palestinian state at the meeting.

Days later, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK would do the same if Israel did not meet a series of conditions to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Reports have indicated that Starmer will take the diplomatic step over the weekend. 

During US President Donald Trump’s two-day state visit to the UK this week, Starmer said the two leaders spent the “best part of an hour” discussing the issue, but he did not directly say when the UK will recognise Palestine.

Trump said he has “a disagreement with the Prime Minister on that score” when asked about Starmer’s plan.

When asked why he was waiting for Trump to leave the country before recognising Palestine, Starmer said it “has nothing to do with the state visit” but was about “timing”. 

Starmer said the countries are “working together to end the humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East”.

Next week’s assembly in New York is set to be devoted to the question of the two state solution to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This week, UN investigators concluded that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza, becoming the latest in a growing group of experts, scholars, states and NGOs to accuse Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of committing the crime of crimes.

The death toll in Gaza also passed 65,000 people this week. 

Around three-quarters of the 193 members of United Nations already recognise the State of Palestine.

Ireland, alongside Spain and Norway, officially recognised Palestine in 2024.

With reporting from AFP