Most countries in the United Nations — 147 out of 193 — already recognize a Palestinian state, which currently has observer status at the U.N.
Then, in the course of just the past week, three more countries — all major U.S. allies — said they would join their ranks.
First, France said it would recognize a Palestinian state in September, and in the days that followed, Britain and Canada announced that they, too, were prepared to follow suit. Britain said it would move forward if Israel did not agree to a cease-fire with Hamas in Gaza by September, while Canada tied a final decision to political changes by the Palestinian Authority.
The announcements reflect the deep frustrations with Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, analysts say, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left a population of about two million in a state of extreme privation and hunger.
