![Civil defense teams and residents conduct search and rescue operation after Israeli attacks on a house belonging to the Al-Shawa family at the Samer junction in Gaza City, Gaza on September 22, 2025. [Khames Alrefi - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AA-20250922-39193477-39193422-ISRAELI_ATTACKS_ON_GAZA_CONTINUE-1.jpg)
Historical context and the road to recognition For decades the Palestinian demand for statehood has been buttressed by UN resolutions and global norms. Successive UN resolutions (from 242 onwards) affirm the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and call for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories. In 1988 the PLO declared an independent State of Palestine, winning recognition from over 100 countries, and in 2012 the UN General Assembly upgraded Palestine to a non-member observer state. As Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas noted, Britain’s recognition today follows “international legitimacy resolutions” and moves toward a two-state solution. In fact, roughly 150 of the UN’s 193 member states now recognize Palestine – a majority held back in the West until the Gaza catastrophe. Until this month, […]
