MADRID: European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Friday said that recognising a Palestinian state was not a gift to Hamas.

Ireland, Norway and Spain said on Wednesday they would recognise a Palestinian state on May 28, to help secure a halt to Israel’s Gaza offensive after the Hamas attack on Oct.7 and revive peace talks that stalled a decade ago.

“Recognising the Palestinian state is not a gift to Hamas, quite the contrary,” he said.

“The Palestinian authority is not Hamas, on the contrary they are deeply confronted.”

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He added the EU already talked, financed and met the Palestinian authority.

“Every time someone makes the decision to support a Palestinian state, the reaction of Israel is to transform it in an antisemitic attack,” he added.