**A major wave of recognitions in September 2025 at the UN General Assembly brought the total recognizing the State of Palestine to around 156–160 UN members, including the UK, Canada, Australia, France, Portugal, and several smaller European states.** This left the United States as the only permanent Security Council member without recognition, alongside a limited group of holdouts such as Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and others that have cited conditions including hostage releases, Hamas’s exclusion from governance, Palestinian Authority reforms, or coordinated EU action. Recent developments include Belgium initiating formal steps in July 2026 as Hamas reduced its governing role in Gaza. Trader focus centers on whether additional European or other governments cross the threshold before December 31, 2026, influenced by any further diplomatic momentum from France-Saudi initiatives, BRICS positions supporting full UN membership, Palestinian elections scheduled for November 2026, or shifts tied to Gaza developments and two-state solution talks. Resolution depends on verifiable official announcements of recognition by individual states.