The United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia and Canada followed through on their pledges to recognize an independent Palestinian state on Sunday, teeing up a tense week in New York as the United Nations General Assembly gets underway.

France, Belgium and other countries are expected to follow suit during the convening, which comes nearly two years into the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

The recognitions have little if any real impact on the experience of Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank but are rocking preparations for the U.N. meeting, which overlaps with Rosh Hashanah.

The countries say they are trying to jolt the status quo by proactively recognizing a Palestinian state that does not have Hamas at the helm. Several of them had said they would consider averting their planned recognition i

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