Britain, Australia, Canada and Portugal on Sunday recognised the State of Palestine, a historic shift in decades of Western foreign policy that drew swift anger from Israel.

Though Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip welcomed the recognition as a victory, the move drew a furious response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed that a Palestinian state would never come to pass.

Other countries, including France, are due to follow suit at the annual UN General Assembly opening on Monday in New York.

Israel has come under huge international pressure over its war in Gaza, which has sparked a dire humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.

Netanyahu denounced the push for recognition as "absurd", claiming it would "endanger" Israel's existence.

"It will not hap

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