BERLIN

Germany said on Wednesday that conditions are not yet conducive for recognizing an independent Palestine after Ireland, Spain and Norway announced they would support such a move.

“An independent state of Palestine remains a fixed goal of German foreign policy. It's about a political process with the aim of a two-state solution which the federal government considers urgent,” Foreign Ministry deputy spokeswoman Kathrin Deschauer said at a press briefing in Berlin.

The negotiated two-state solution “is necessary and more urgent than ever" as we must "find a solution to this dramatic conflict," she added.

Deschauer’s remarks follow the formal recognition of Palestine as a state by Norway, Ireland and Spain which will enter into force on May 28, 2024.

The recognition of Palestine comes as Israel continues its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.

Palestine is already recognized by eight European countries: Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden, and the Greek Cypriot administration. -

More than 35,700 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 80,000 others injured since last October following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered it to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.