Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday announced Canada’s intention to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state at the upcoming UN General Assembly in early September, with certain conditions.

PM Carney said his plans to acknowledge Palestine as a state are contingent on the Palestinian Authority agreeing to implement several of his recommendations. Carney asked Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to reform his governance, “hold general elections in 2026 which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.”

In his statement, Carney also affirmed that Canada has “long been committed to a two-state solution,” but identifies several developments that have “steadily and gravely eroded” this solution. These developments include the “threat of Hamas terrorism to Israel and its people” as well as the “ongoing failure by the Israeli government” to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

His statement concluded with a promise to strengthen Canada’s efforts in creating a peace plan for Palestine and Israel:

We will intensify our efforts with our international partners to develop a credible peace plan that establishes governance and security arrangements for Palestine and ensures the delivery of humanitarian aid at the necessary scale to Gaza. Canada will be a constructive partner in building a just, meaningful, and lasting peace in the region, and a future that respects the dignity, security, and aspirations of all Palestinians and Israelis. 

Last week, nearly 20,000 Canadians signed a petition urging the Canadian government to “work with international partners, including the United Nations, to urgently deploy peacekeeping forces to Gaza for the protection of civilians, to support the delivery of humanitarian aid.” The petition was sponsored by Member of Parliament Heather McPherson. 

UK PM Keir Starmer similarly decided to affirm Palestinian statehood just days before Canada’s announcement. Starmer urged for an “immediate ceasefire to stop the slaughter” and threatened that if Israel’s government did not take “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza,” it would recognize Palestine at the UN assembly. French President Emmanuel Macron has also committed to recognizing Palestine as a state at the upcoming UN assembly. In his statement on X announcing his plans, Macron called for a ceasefire, stating that the “French want peace in the Middle East.”