The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg now officially recognises the State of Palestine. This decision was announced on 22 September 2025, on behalf of the Government, by Prime Minister Luc Frieden, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, at the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Luxembourg’s recognition of the State of Palestine is fully in line with the country’s longstanding and consistent commitment to the two-state solution, the only viable path to achieving a just and lasting peace based on the peaceful and secure coexistence of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine.

By recognising Palestine, Luxembourg reaffirms its support for the two-state solution, which upholds the fundamental right of the Palestinian people to self-determination while ensuring the security of the Israeli people and the State of Israel. The recognition of the State of Palestine is a step in favour of peace between the two states and their peoples. It goes without saying that this recognition is in no way directed against Israel or the Israeli people, whom Luxembourg has recognised since Israel’s admission to the United Nations on 11 May 1949.

Luxembourg recognises the State of Palestine on the basis of the 1967 borders, prior to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territory, which were most recently reaffirmed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016). The resolution reaffirmed that these borders may not be altered unilaterally by Israel, but only through mutual agreement reached in the context of peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine.

Luxembourg recognises the Palestinian Authority as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. Recognition of the State of Palestine means that Luxembourg regards Palestine as an independent state, with the rights and obligations this entails. Luxembourg expects a politically unified Palestinian government under the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, administering its unified territory comprising Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, to continue its efforts to implement democratic reforms, strengthen the judiciary, and combat corruption.

Luxembourg’s recognition of the State of Palestine in no way implies recognition of, or support for, Hamas. Luxembourg reiterates its strongest condemnation of Hamas’s terrorist attack of 7 October 2023 and demands the immediate release of all remaining hostages. Luxembourg also renews its call for an immediate ceasefire and for unhindered access to and delivery of humanitarian aid across the Gaza Strip.

Finally, recognition of the State of Palestine must be accompanied by concrete measures to support peace efforts and the implementation of the two-state solution. The declaration of the International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine, held from 28 to 30 July in New York and endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly with 142 votes in favour, including that of Luxembourg, sets out this framework through a step-by-step plan towards a sovereign and demilitarised Palestine, as well as a shared commitment to dismantling Hamas. The commitments made by President Mahmoud Abbas, together with his expressed determination to lead far-reaching reforms towards a democratic and renewed Palestinian Authority, reinforce these efforts and lay the foundations for a just and lasting peace between the parties.

With this step, Luxembourg helps rekindle hope for a better future in which Israelis and Palestinians live side by side in security, peace and dignity – marking the beginning of an irreversible process towards reconciliation, justice and coexistence, so that peace may no longer remain a distant aspiration but become a reality shared by all.

Press release by the Ministry of State and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade

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