Armenia officially recognizes Palestine

Armenia announced Friday it was recognizing the State of Palestine, the latest country to do so during the war in Gaza, saying it was against “violence towards civilian populations.” 

A series of countries have recognized the State of Palestine amid the war between Israel and Hamas, drawing strong rebukes from Israeli officials.

“Confirming its commitment to international law, equality of nations, sovereignty and peaceful coexistence, the Republic of Armenia recognizes the State of Palestine,” Yerevan said. 

Armenia added that it is “genuinely interested in establishing long-term peace and stability in the Middle-East.”

• 145 countries now recognize a Palestinian state
• Slovenia becomes latest EU country to recognize Palestinian state

Yerevan, which has itself been ridden by conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan for decades, slammed Israel’s military conduct in Gaza. 

“Armenia deplores using civilian infrastructure as shields during armed conflicts and violence towards civilian populations,” the ministry said.

Shortly after the former Soviet republic announced the recognition, Israel’s foreign ministry summoned Yerevan’s ambassador.

“Following Armenia’s recognition of a Palestinian state, the foreign ministry summoned the Armenian ambassador in Israel for a severe reprimand,” it said in a statement.

A senior official from the Palestinian Authority, Hussein Al-Sheikh, meanwhile, welcomed the move.  

“This is a victory for right, justice, legitimacy and the struggle of our Palestinian people for liberation and independence,” Al-Sheikh said on social media.  

“Thank you our friend Armenia.”  

Israel’s offensive has killed at least 37,431 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Israel is a major arms supplier to Armenia’s arch-foe neighbour Azerbaijan, with which Yerevan had been locked in a decades-long territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region that Baku recaptured last year from Armenian separatists.