RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has welcomed the announcements by Australia and New Zealand to recognise the State of Palestine in September this year, amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, causing a severe starvation crisis.
Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on Monday, said the Kingdom commended the growing international consensus in support of the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Kingdom said that this critical phase requires peace-loving nations to formally recognise the State of Palestine and actively support efforts to end the prolonged war, particularly in light of Israel’s ongoing violations of international and humanitarian laws.
#بيان | تعرب وزارة الخارجية عن ترحيب المملكة العربية السعودية بإعلان أستراليا عزمها الاعتراف بالدولة الفلسطينية، وإعلان نيوزيلندا دراستها الاعتراف بالدولة الفلسطينية، وتشيد المملكة بالاجماع الدولي الداعم لمسار تنفيذ حل الدولتين وإقامة الدولة الفلسطينية المستقلة على حدود 1967م… pic.twitter.com/fOyd2LKMKs
— وزارة الخارجية 🇸🇦 (@KSAMOFA) August 11, 2025
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that his government would formally recognise a Palestinian state in September, during the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
“A two-state solution is humanity’s best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering, and starvation in Gaza,” Albanese said at a news conference in Canberra.
Statement on the recognition of the State of Palestine. pic.twitter.com/Mg0Ec8buo1
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) August 11, 2025
Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister of New Zealand, Winston Peters, has said his government is weighing up its position on the recognition of Palestine as a state.
“Today, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is rightly at the forefront of the global agenda,” he said.
The announcements come as Canada, France, and the United Kingdom are preparing to formally recognise Palestine at the meeting next month, joining the vast majority of UN member states.
It is pertinent to mention that the Palestinian Authority controls parts of the West Bank through the Fatah party, led by Mahmoud Abbas, while Hamas runs Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in the deaths of over 61,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, and left more than 153,000 wounded.
