Palestinians evacuate to escape the conflict in Gaza. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

“This recognition is an important step in maintaining the right of our Palestinian people to their land and holy sites, and to establishing their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” Hamas said.

It added that symbolic recognition must be accompanied by concrete measures, calling on the international community to exert pressure to “immediately end the conflict in the Gaza Strip,” stop Israel’s resettlement of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and press the UN and governments worldwide to adopt stronger measures against Israel.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said countries recognising a Palestinian state this week were taking an irreversible step that preserves the two-state solution and brings Palestinian independence and sovereignty closer.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Sunday welcomed the recognition, saying the move aligns with the demands of the people in those countries to support the Palestinian right to independence and to live with dignity. He expressed hope that more international recognition with significant impact will follow in the near future.

Meanwhile, Israel criticized the recognition, calling it a one-sided move that could fuel instability in the region. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that a Palestinian state “will not be established west of the Jordan River,” adding that Israel’s official response will be issued after his return from the United States next week.