BBC Live / September 21, 2025
Hamas, which the UK and many other nations have designated as a terrorist organisation, has welcomed the news that the UK, Canada and Australia have all formally recognised a Palestinian state.
In a statement, the armed group and political movement in Gaza says: “This recognition is an important step in affirming the right of our Palestinian people to their land and holy sites, and to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
But it adds that the move “must be accompanied by practical measures” that would lead to an “immediate end” to the war in Gaza and “confront” settlement plans in the West Bank.
It also calls on the international community and the UN to “cease all forms of co-operation and co-ordination” with Israel.
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Senior Fatah figure says recognition is ‘historic’
Tom Bennett
BBC Live / September 21, 2025
I’ve been speaking to Sabri Saidam, a senior member of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) main faction, Fatah.
Speaking over the phone last night, he said it was “definitely a historic day” and described recognition as “a vote of confidence in the Palestinian people”.
But there are fears among many here in the occupied West Bank about how Israel could respond to the recognition moves, with ultranationalist ministers in the Israeli government repeating calls for annexation of the West Bank and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to continue pressing ahead with settlement expansion.
“Israel always claims to be making peace while etching away through Palestinian territory and confiscating land,” says Saidam. “The war in Gaza has for the last two years claimed thousands of lives, killing, maiming and displacing people.”
“There has to be a way to revisit the doctrine of Netanyahu and his government,” he says.
Does he truly believe a Palestinian state can come into being?
“If I did not believe that, we would not have put so much energy into the recognition,” he says. “We dwell on hope.”
Tom Bennett – reporting from Ramallah
