<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span> has reacted to </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="" title="Australia's"><span>Australia's</span></a><span> decision to recognise a </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/palestine" rel="" target="" title="Palestinian"><span>Palestinian</span></a><span> state with disappointment and "some disgust", according to a high-ranking diplomat.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>US ambassador to </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/israel" rel="" target="" title="Israel"><span>Israel</span></a><span> Mike Huckabee last night hit out at the attempts by Canberra and several other Western allies to influence Israel in its war on Gaza, claiming Washington had been caught by surprise.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Republican former governor of Arkansas told the ABC's </span><em><span>7.30</span></em><span> he had discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump and people at the US State Department.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/finance/ampol-eg-group/6450c950-318e-4654-8307-bf5d9c5c16a1"><strong><span>Servo giant confirms massive $1.1 billion takeover</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There's an enormous level of disappointment, and some disgust," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You perhaps heard the Secretary (of State Marco) Rubio's interview this past weekend, and he made it very clear that the result of this has been to completely halt any type of thoughtful negotiations going forward, and it's, it's just a very terrible timing for this to come about."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At the weekend, Rubio claimed talks with Hamas "fell apart on the day (French President Emmanuel Macron made the unilateral decision that he's going to recognise the Palestinian state" and later in the week he described the pledges as "meaningless".</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/israel-gaza-update-mike-huckabee-details-us-reaction-australia-palestine-recognition/d1b0f06f-4242-41d3-89a9-94c04547739c" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Asked to generally categorise Trump's personal reaction, Huckabee said the decision was "disappointing and frustrating, frustrating that there was no communication with the United States as Israel's closest partner".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In an interview with the </span><em><span>Times of Israel</span></em><span> yesterday, Huckabee accused the allies of aiding and abetting Israel's "sworn adversaries, those who are trying to kill them, who literally are trying to kill them".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Announcing his government's decision to recognise Palestine, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a two-state solution was "humanity's best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/perth-news-emergency-surgery-for-teen-after-bizarre-perth-glass-attack/782df74e-b14e-4c99-a79b-1326588e4779"><strong><span>Emergency surgery for teen after bizarre glass attack</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/serial-child-rapist-sentence-act/d5652064-de1c-4a2d-8930-597e63567f83" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Serial rapist to walk free in little more than a year</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Foreign Minister Penny Wong said "there is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise" if the world didn't work towards the solution.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/hamas-welcomes-australian-recognition-of-palestine/eb2345c6-3b09-4894-ad39-fc57cc398155"><span>Hamas senior leader Hassan Yousef welcomed Australia's decision</span></a><span>, which the opposition has promised to reverse if returned to government at the next election.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This position reflects political courage and a commitment to the values of justice and the right of peoples to self-determination," Yousef said in a statement.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We call on all countries, especially those that believe in freedom and human dignity, to follow Australia's example."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Albanese rejected Hamas' praise and said his decision to recognise Palestine's statehood was not a reward for the terrorist group, reiterating that a two-state solution between Palestine and Israel would not involve Hamas.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I won't be a cheer squad for Hamas and for its statements," </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anthony-albanese-recognising-palestine-statehood-says-his-announcement-not-for-hamas/ccbd9be1-95e5-491a-b10c-76f5491cf2a9" rel="" target="" title="Albanese told media in Brisbane yesterday"><span>Albanese told media in Brisbane yesterday</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We need to isolate Hamas, but we do need to find a way forward. There's 147 countries that have already recognised Palestine.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A range of countries in the West, like-minded countries – the United Kingdom, Germany, Malta, Italy are making statements – and some of those countries like the United Kingdom, France and Canada have made it clear that they want to see a path forward of a two-state solution."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>For its part, Israel has criticised the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/australia-to-recognise-palestinian-state-israel-president-isaac-herzog-responds/1708d9b5-6d5f-4afb-bfd5-353976968305"><span>pledge to recognise Palestine as a "dangerous mistake"</span></a><span> and presented </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/israel-gaza-update-bezalel-smotrich-advances-controversial-settlement-plan-aiming-to-bury-the-idea-of-a-palestinian-state/40f320ff-5c42-4f07-9e0e-7c0fc5b5e8dc"><span>widely denounced West Bank settlement plans as its reaction</span></a><span> to the recognition pledges by Australia, France, the UK and Canada.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They will talk about a Palestinian dream, and we will continue to build a Jewish reality," far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This reality is what will permanently bury the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which militants abducted 251 people and killed about 1200 people, mostly civilians.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel's air and ground offensive has displaced most of the people in Gaza, destroyed vast areas, pushed the territory toward famine and, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, killed more than 61,400 Palestinians.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wong this week joined with foreign ministers from 23 other countries decry the "unimaginable" suffering in </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/gaza" target="" title="Gaza"><span>Gaza</span></a><span>, declaring "famine is unfolding before our eyes" and calling on </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/israel" target="" title="Israel"><span>Israel</span></a><span> to let in aid.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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