A minister claims that Portugal has officially recognized the Palestinian state

Paulo Rangel, Portugal’s minister of foreign affairs, declared on Sunday that Portugal now recognizes the state of Palestine.

At the offices of Portugal’s permanent representation to the UN in New York, Rangel told reporters, “The recognition of the state of Palestine is the realization of a fundamental, constant, and fundamental line of Portuguese foreign policy.”

He stated that Hamas “cannot have any form of control in Gaza or outside it” and that “Portugal advocates the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace…a ceasefire is urgent.” He also demanded that all hostages be released.

In addition, Rangel denounced the “expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank,” the damage, and the famine in Gaza, saying that acknowledging the state of Palestine “does not erase the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.”

Along with Britain, Canada, and Australia, Portugal was also recognizing Palestine.