Luxembourg to recognize state of Palestine

Luxembourg intends to recognize the state of Palestine, Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel told a parliamentary commission on Monday, Report informs via Politico.

According to local media, the final decision on the recognition is expected to be taken later this month at the UN General Assembly in New York in coordination with several other countries, including France and Belgium.

The announcement comes after months of hesitation by Luxembourg"s government and amid growing calls by European leaders for an end to Israel"s war in Gaza, launched after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Local health officials say over 60,000 Palestinians have died in the war.

European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera has called Israel"s actions in Gaza genocide.

Last week, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU executive would take a harder stance toward Israel over the war, pausing payments to the country and sanctioning what she called "extremist ministers" and violent settlers.

Last Friday, the UN General Assembly voted to endorse a declaration that contains "tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps" toward a two-state solution in the region before the body"s September 22 meeting.