Norway recognizes Palestine as a state, says Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at a press conference with Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
The state should get the borders that applied before the six-day war in 1967, says the prime minister.
The message has caused Israel to recall its diplomats from Norway.
The formal recognition takes place on May 28.
Norway’s line since the signing of the Oslo Accords more than 30 years ago has been to recognize the state of Palestine only when a peace solution has been reached.
– It has not worked, says Gahr Støre at the press conference.
Calling diplomats home
According to The Guardian, Ireland and Spain are expected to recognize Palestine later today.
EU countries Slovenia and Malta have also indicated that recognition is in the offing, arguing that a two-state solution is necessary for lasting peace in the region.
There are warnings from Israel that the recognitions will lead to increased “extremism and instability”, writes The Guardian.
Shortly after Norway’s press conference, Israel announces that it is recalling its diplomats from Norway and Ireland.
143 of the UN’s 193 member states have previously recognized Palestine as an independent state. Sweden did it in 2014.