BREAKING: Carney to recognize Palestinian statehood, drawing US ire

Canada will officially recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, announced Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday.

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UPDATE: In a post to Truth Social, US President Donald Trump responded to Carney’s announcement, saying the decision jeopardized Canada-US trade negotiations.

Canada will officially recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, announced Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday.

This decision, made nearly two years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack, marks a major shift in Canada’s Middle East policy, aligning with recent moves by France and the U.K.

Speaking to reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday, Carney said the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the collapse of a credible peace process compelled Canada to act.

“The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” Carney said. “Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Thousands more are on the brink of famine.”

Carney condemned the Israeli government for allowing the situation in Gaza to reach what he called an “intolerable” state.

“Canada intends to recognize the State of Palestine at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025,” Carney said.

“This intention is predicated on the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to much-needed reforms.”

Those reforms, he said, include President Mahmoud Abbas’s pledge to hold general elections in 2026, exclude Hamas from any governing role, end the payment system for prisoners, and commit to a demilitarized Palestinian state.

The Conservatives released a statement minutes after the announcement condemning Carney’s recognition of a Palestinian state.

“Recognizing a Palestinian state after the Oct. 7 terrorist atrocities sends the wrong message to the world: that violence and terror are effective tools for achieving political objectives,” the statement read. “If the government recognizes the Palestinian state now, it is impossible that Hamas will not play a central role; surely Canadians cannot support validating Hamas with the status of government.”

Carney reiterated Canada’s demand for Hamas to immediately release all hostages taken during its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, disarm, and be excluded from Palestine’s future governance.

“Hamas must play no part in the future governance of Palestine,” he said.

None of those conditions appears required before Canada recognises a Palestinian state in September 2025. It’s unclear what Canada would do if Palestine fails to meet them.

Israeli Ambassador Iddo Moed spoke to CBC News minutes after the announcement, condemning the action.

“We reject this because we have lived with that neighbour for a very long time, we coexist with the Palestinians for a very long time,” Moed said. “By the action that Canada has taken, Hamas feels emboldened. Hamas has expressed its gratitude to Canada and other countries, I don’t know how many times.”

Canada has committed $340 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza and pledged an additional $30 million in emergency assistance. A further $10 million is allocated to support governance in the West Bank.

The announcement follows a joint foreign ministers’ statement issued earlier this week by Canada and 14 other countries, including France, Ireland, Australia, and Norway. The statement expressed support for Palestinian statehood and called on other nations to join them in recognizing it as “an essential step towards the two-state solution.”

The group also welcomed Abbas’s June 10 commitments to reform, calling for a new diplomatic framework to rebuild Gaza and exclude Hamas.

Carney stated that peace prospects have eroded due to “the pervasive threat of Hamas terrorism,” expanding West Bank settlements, settler violence, and Israel’s failure to allow humanitarian access.

“It is our duty to ensure that human rights are upheld abroad,” he said. “Preserving a two-state solution means standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism.”