Gaza – On September 22, 2025, Hamas political bureau member Ghazi Hamad hailed the formal recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia as the “fruits of October 7,” marking a grim milestone two years after the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. The coordinated announcements, made during the UN General Assembly, were intended to revive the two-state solution, but Hamad’s statement, reported by Al-Jazeera on September 23, 2025, at 03:37 PM PST, frames them as a reward for the October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages.
Hamad’s celebration underscores a stark divide in interpretations of the recognition. While Western leaders like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presented it as a step toward peace, Hamad sees it as validation of Hamas’s strategy. “This is the outcome of our resistance,” he stated, linking the diplomatic gains to the violence that shocked the world. Israel, which has lost over 1,800 soldiers and civilians since October 2023, condemned the move, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it a “dangerous precedent.”
The recognition, part of a broader international push, comes as Gaza faces over 41,000 deaths and ongoing conflict, with critics arguing it rewards terrorism rather than fostering stability. Hamad’s remarks highlight the complex and contentious nature of the Palestinian statehood debate, with the October 7 attack’s legacy casting a long shadow over efforts to achieve peace. As the world watches, the question remains whether this recognition advances a viable state or merely entrenches division.
