Lisbon: Portugal announced this evening its official recognition of the State of Palestine. Earlier, Britain, Canada, and Australia took the same step. In their decision, the four countries joined approximately 140 other countries that also support the Palestinian aspiration to establish an independent homeland outside the territories occupied by Israel.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal officially announced their recognition of the State of Palestine on Sunday, in a historic shift that reflects growing international pressure on the Palestinian cause.

Commenting on this, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting: “We will have to wage the battle, whether at the United Nations or in all other arenas, against the systematic misinformation against us and against the calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state, which would endanger our existence.”

In response to the decision, Israel claimed that the three countries’ recognition of a Palestinian state further destabilizes the region and undermines the chances of reaching a peaceful solution to the conflict.

A Hamas official said that the recognition of the State of Palestine by Western countries is “a victory for Palestinian rights.”