Israel’s almost six-month-old bombardment of Gaza since the October 7 attack has revived calls for Palestinians to be given a state of their own, AFP reports.

Spain’s left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced plans to soon recognise a Palestinian state, breaking with other Western powers which have long argued this should only come as part of a negotiated peace with Israel.

The Palestinians themselves have meanwhile relaunched a more-than-decade-old application to become a full member state of the United Nations.

According to the Palestinian Authority, which rules parts of the occupied West Bank, 137 of the 193 UN members already recognise a Palestinian state.

They include many countries from the Middle East, Africa and other regions, but not the United States, Canada, most of Western Europe, Australia, Japan or South Korea.

Read full story here