A group of United Nations experts has called on all countries to recognise a Palestinian state to ensure peace in the Middle East, Reuters reports.

The call came less than a week after Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognised a Palestinian state, prompting anger from Israel, which has found itself increasingly isolated after a nearly eight-month-long military campaign in Gaza.

The experts, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, said recognition of a Palestinian state was an important acknowledgement of their rights and struggle towards freedom and independence.

“This is a pre-condition for lasting peace in Palestine and the entire Middle East, beginning with the immediate declaration of a ceasefire in Gaza and no further military incursions into Rafah,” they said.

“A two-state solution remains the only internationally agreed path to peace and security for both Palestine and Israel and a way out of generational cycles of violence and resentment.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not respond immediately to Reuters’ request for comment.