Australia latest to say it will recognize a Palestinian state

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia will recognize a Palestinian state, formalizing the decision at the UN General Assembly in September. The move follows commitments from the Palestinian Authority to exclude Hamas from government, demilitarize Gaza, and hold elections. Citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel’s defiance of international law, Albanese called a two-state solution the best hope for ending the conflict, CBS News has reported. The announcement comes amid Israeli plans for an expanded military offensive in Gaza, which have drawn global criticism. Israel rejects the recognition, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it “shameful.”