YEREVAN: Armenia has announced its official recognition of the State of Palestine amid ongoing violence against the civilian population by Israeli authorities in Gaza.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the country took the decision to reaffirm its commitment to international law and the principles of sovereignty, equality and peaceful coexistence of peoples.
Earlier, a series of countries had recognized the State of Palestine during the war between Israel and Hamas.
“Confirming its commitment to international law, equality of nations, sovereignty and peaceful coexistence, the Republic of Armenia recognizes the State of Palestine,” Yerevan said.
Armenia said that it is interested in establishing long-term stability and peace in the Middle East. Yerevan, which has already been at odds with neighbouring Azerbaijan for decades, slammed Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip.
The ministry said Armenia condemns using civilian infrastructure as shields during conflicts and violence toward civilian population. It also asked Hamas to join the demands of the international community to free the captives.
A senior official from the Palestinian Authority, Hussein Al-Sheikh, has welcomed the development in a post on social media. He termed it a victory for rights, justice, legitimacy and the struggle of the Palestinian people for independence.
According to the Gaza health ministry, Israel’s relentless bombardment has killed at least 37,431 people in Gaza, mostly women and children.
Israel is a major arms exporter to Armenia’s arch-foe neighbour Azerbaijan, with which Yerevan had a decades-long territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region that Baku. Azerbaijan recaptured the disputed territory from Armenian separatists last year.
