"I hope that Portugal will join this group of countries to be among the first European countries to recognise the State of Palestine, especially because the friendly Portuguese people are one of the defenders of the rights of the Palestinian people. Moreover, the Portuguese parliament has asked the government more than once, for a long time, to recognise the State of Palestine", reads the message from the Palestinian diplomat.

Abuznaid thanked "all the peoples and governments of the world that support the Palestinian people in achieving their national objectives", highlighting the European countries "that today officially recognised the State of Palestine".

For the Palestinian diplomat, recognising the State of Palestine "is an important step on the path to the two-state solution, Palestine and Israel, to live together in peace".

"The non-recognition of the State of Palestine will encourage the continuation of the occupation and injustice against the Palestinian people", added Abuznaid, who highlighted the efforts of "a son of Portugal", António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

"On this occasion, I must also thank the son of Portugal, António Guterres, who leads the battle for humanity and international law in order to protect the Palestinian people", stressed the Palestinian diplomat, who then quoted the words of the UN Secretary-General spoken on Monday, following an Israeli attack on a refugee camp in Rafah, which caused 45 deaths.

"I condemn the actions of Israel, which killed dozens of innocent civilians who were only seeking shelter in this deadly conflict. There is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop", said Guterres, words remembered today by Abuznaid.

The Spanish Council of Ministers today approved the formal recognition of Palestine as a State, said the spokesperson for the Madrid Government, Pilar Alegría, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, at a press conference.

The Spanish minister argued that the decision taken in Madrid is a matter of justice for the Palestinian people, but also "the only way to guarantee Israel the security it legitimately claims and the only viable path to peace in the region".

Spain, Norway and Ireland have committed to formally recognising Palestine as a State as of today, joining more than 140 countries that have already done so worldwide at a time when Israel has been carrying out a military offensive in the Gaza Strip since October.

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

Since then, Israel has launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip that has caused more than 36,000 deaths and a serious humanitarian crisis, according to Hamas, which has governed the Palestinian enclave since 2007.

The Israeli Government condemned Spain, Ireland and Norway, arguing that these countries send the message to the Palestinians that "terrorism pays off".

Read Also: Norway recognises the State of Palestine and says that today is a "memorable day" (Portuguese version)

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