Russia Reaffirms Recognition of Palestinian State Amid Gaza Crisis

Russia has reiterated its long-standing recognition of Palestinian statehood, highlighting that it had acknowledged Palestine's independence back in 1988—decades before the current humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin criticized Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

“We recognized the State of Palestine long ago—without waiting for the monstrous catastrophe that has unfolded,” said Vershinin. While condemning the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the conflict, he emphasized that it should not serve as justification for what he called the “collective punishment” of millions of Palestinians.

According to figures from Gaza’s health authorities, more than 65,000 people have been killed in the Israeli offensive that began nearly two years ago.

Vershinin’s comments come in the wake of recent moves by several Western nations—including France, the UK, Portugal, Belgium, Canada, and Australia—to officially recognize Palestinian statehood. Moscow noted that it had taken this step over three decades ago, shortly after the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988.

Russia continues to support a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. This stance aligns with a UN Security Council framework, which Moscow says is the only viable path toward a lasting peace in the Middle East.

Earlier this month, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution supporting Palestinian statehood and a two-state solution. The resolution was opposed by only a few countries, including the United States, Israel, and several Pacific island nations.

The original 1947 UN partition plan had proposed separate Jewish and Arab states, but multiple wars since then allowed Israel to gain control over most of the territory, including areas like West Jerusalem that were initially allocated for a future Palestinian state.

Western nations had long resisted unilateral recognition of Palestine, aligning with Washington’s stance that such recognition should come through direct negotiations. However, after years of diplomatic deadlock and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza since 2023, countries like France and the UK are now arguing that recognizing Palestine is both a moral imperative and a political signal that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to peace.

Source: RT