Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially announced on Monday that his country will recognize a state of Palestine when the United Nations General Assembly meets in September.
"Australia will recognize the right of the Palestinian people to a state of their own, predicated on the commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority," Albanese said.
"We will work with the international community to make this right a reality," he added.
Albanese clarified that Hamas may take no part in a Palestinian state, while lashing out at Israel and claiming that “continues to defy” international law, with the situation in Gaza “beyond the world’s worst dreams.”
The Cabinet had met in Canberra earlier, where it signed off on the move, according to SBS News.
The confirmation comes after the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Albanese is preparing to announce Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state in the coming days.
Australia's recognition could include conditions, particularly around ensuring Hamas is excluded from any Palestinian government and safeguarding Israel's security, according to the report. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has already briefed Israeli officials on the potential shift in policy, it said.
Though historically seen as a final step in the peace process, Australia’s stance has evolved. Wong's previous statements indicated a willingness to recognize Palestine earlier to promote leadership reform in Gaza and encourage Israel to refocus on peace talks.
The report comes just weeks after Albanese said that his government has no immediate plans to recognize a Palestinian state, stressing that recognition must be tied to clear conditions for a viable two-state solution, and expressed concern over any future state potentially involving Hamas.
“We’ll make a decision based upon the time. Is the time right now? Are we about to imminently do that? No, we are not,” Albanese stated at the time.
An Australian move to recognize a Palestinian state would follow similar announcements by the UK, Canada, and France.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has long urged countries to recognize “Palestine” as a means of bypassing direct talks with Israel.
While several countries have recognized “Palestine” in recent years, those moves were symbolic ones that have little, if any, actual diplomatic effect.