Armenia recognized Palestine as an independent state

(Patria) - Armenia announced on Friday that it recognized the State of Palestine, saying it is against "violence against
civilians," AFP reported.

A number of countries have recognized the State of Palestine amid the war between Israel and Hamas, which has drawn sharp rebukes from Israeli officials.

"Reaffirming its commitment to international law, equality of nations, sovereignty, and peaceful coexistence, the Republic of Armenia recognizes the State of Palestine," Yerevan said, adding that it is "genuinely interested in establishing long-term peace and stability in the Middle East."

Shortly after the former Soviet republic announced its recognition, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Armenia's ambassador for a conversation.

Senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh welcomed the move. "This is a victory for right, justice, legitimacy, and the struggle of our Palestinian people for liberation and independence," al-Sheikh said on social media. "Thank you to friend Armenia."

Israel is a major supplier of weapons to Armenia's neighbor Azerbaijan, with which Yerevan has been in a decades-long territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Baku took over from Armenian separatists last year.