Norway to recognise Palestinian state, Ireland and Spain concur

OSLO: Norway will recognise an independent Palestinian state in hopes of bringing peace to Israel, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Wednesday.

Sources, on Wednesday, said that Ireland and Spain will also be announcing the recognition of a Palestinian state.

European Union (EU) members Slovenia and Malta have also indicated in recent weeks that they plan to make the recognition, arguing that a two-state solution is essential for keeping peace in the region.

"In the middle of a war, with tens of thousands of dead and injured, we must keep alive the only thing that can provide a safe home for both Israelis and Palestinians: two states that can live in peace with each other," Stoere said in a press conference.

Before the announcement, around 143 out of 193 member-states of the United Nations recognised a Palestinian state.

European countries have approached the issue differently. Countries like Sweden, recognised a Palestinian state over a decade ago, while France plans not to do so unless it can be an effective tool to make progress towards peace.

The moves come as Israeli forces have led assaults on the northern and southern edges of the Gaza Strip in May, causing a new exodus of over a thousand people, and restricting the flow of aid, raising the risk of famine.

Non-EU member Norway has long said it would recognise Palestine as a country only if it could have a positive impact on the peace process, in step with what the United States has said on the issue.

Norway is a close U.S. ally, and the Nordic country has sought to help broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians on several occasions in recent decades.