Western Recognition of Palestine Sparks Wider Tensions

Several Western countries, including the U.K., Canada and Australia, formally recognized a Palestinian state ahead of a U.N. conference; critics say the move is largely symbolic and will not stop the suffering in Gaza or settler encroachment but could harden future clashes between Israel and parts of the international community. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan praised the recognitions as a “global awakening” while urging concrete measures — accountability, sanctions and steps to stop Israeli attacks — and highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In the U.K., Labour activists forced through an emergency motion demanding the government act to prevent what they called “the commission of a genocide in Gaza,” ban trade with illegal West Bank settlements and impose comprehensive sanctions, though party leaders say courts must determine genocide. Separately, tensions over Eritrea’s port of Assab have escalated into a broader contest involving the UAE and Israel, underscoring how the Gaza war is reshaping regional alignments and diplomacy.