"The Palestinian Prime Minister [Mohammed Mustafa] spoke this morning with the Foreign Minister @PauloRangel_pt, to thank him for the favorable vote at the UNGA [United Nations General Assembly], as well as all the support given to Palestine, namely the humanitarian aid. He also welcomed the appeals for an immediate ceasefire," said the Portuguese minister, on social network X.

On May 10, the UN General Assembly approved, with the overwhelming support of 143 countries, including Portugal, a resolution that grants "additional rights and privileges" to Palestine and appeals to the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request for full membership in the organization.

O Primeiro-Ministro Palestiniano conversou, esta manhã, com o MNE @PauloRangel_pt, para agradecer o voto favorável na AGNU, assim como todo o apoio dado à Palestina, designadamente a ajuda humanitária. Saudou ainda os apelos ao cessar-fogo imediato.

— Negócios Estrangeiros PT (@nestrangeiro_pt) May 20, 2024

Days later, the Minister of Foreign Affairs underlined "the unprecedented gesture" of Portugal in relation to Palestine at the United Nations and said that national diplomacy is playing "an important role" with other European countries on this matter.

It was "an unprecedented gesture in Portuguese diplomacy" and "therefore, Portugal is clearly on this line," Paulo Rangel underlined at the time, at a press conference in Madrid, alongside his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares.

The minister had also revealed that he had managed to get "at least two countries" from the European Union to vote in favor of this draft resolution, presented by the United Arab Emirates on behalf of the Arab Group of Countries.

Regarding the possibility and the timing of Portugal recognizing the Palestinian State -- a step that at least four European countries, including Spain, are preparing to take -- he reiterated that the Portuguese Government is still "in consultations".

"In the Portuguese case, what we considered appropriate at this time was to make this favorable vote without any restriction or condition, but not to move forward with the formal recognition [of the State of Palestine]," he added.

The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip was triggered by the attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, which caused about 1,200 deaths and two hundred hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

In response, Israel launched a large-scale military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has already caused more than 35,000 deaths, mostly civilians, according to local authorities controlled by Hamas.

The Israeli offensive is causing a serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with more than 1.1 million people in a "catastrophic hunger situation" that is already claiming victims - "the highest number ever recorded" by the UN in food security studies in the world.

Read Also: PS requests urgent hearing of Rangel on changes to CPLP visas (Portuguese version)