Portugal will officially recognize a Palestinian state on Sunday, Lisbon’s foreign ministry said on Friday, ahead of a UN General Assembly where around 10 other countries are set to follow suit.

Britain, Canada and France are among the other Western nations planning to give a Palestinian state recognition at the assembly, which comes as Israel’s campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip grinds on.

Lisbon had already announced in July that it intended to do so given the “extremely worrying evolution of the conflict,” as well as the humanitarian crisis and Israel’s repeated threats to annex the West Bank.

“The ministry of foreign affairs confirms that Portugal will recognize the State of Palestine… the official declaration of recognition will be made on Sunday, September 21,” a statement on the ministry’s website said.

Israel has fiercely criticized plans for Palestinian recognition, arguing that it rewards Hamas for its October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

Earlier Friday, an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron said Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and San Marino also plan to recognize the state of Palestine.

Beginning on Monday, next week’s UN General Assembly in New York is set to be devoted to the question of the so-called two state solution to the long-running Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Around three-quarters of the 193 members of United Nations already recognize the state of Palestine, which the General Assembly approved de facto recognition of in 2012 by upgrading its observer status at the world body to “non-member state” from “entity.” Only a handful of the 27 European Union members currently recognize a Palestinian state, mostly former Communist countries as well as Sweden and Cyprus.