A group of UN experts Monday called for all countries to recognize the State of Palestine, to promote peace in the Middle East and to ensure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The group, comprising nearly 30 top UN independent experts and Special Rapporteurs including Palestinian rights Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, is asking for states to recognize the Palestinian state and to “use all political and diplomatic resources at their disposal to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.” They emphasized the need for Palestine to enjoy full self-determination, “including the ability to exist, determine their destiny and develop freely as a people with safety and security.”

They also called on states to “refrain from threats and attacks against the ICC and the ICJ.” This follows the ICC Prosecutor’s recent decision to seek arrest warrants against the Israeli Prime Minister and Minister of Defense as well as top Hamas leaders. It also comes after ICJ provisional measures ordering Israel to stop its military operations in Rafah. “These courts must operate without foreign interference and threats, to uphold the promise of global justice and individual accountability for all victims of the conflict.”

The call comes just days after Ireland, Norway, and Spain announced that they would be formally recognizing Palestine as a state, meaning that 146 out of 193 UN members recognize Palestine. Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Simon Harris emphasized that recognizing Palestine does not undermine Israel’s right to exist and aims to promote peace through a two-state solution, distinguishing Hamas from the Palestinian people and condemning Hamas’s actions. After this announcement, Israel recalled its ambassadors from the three countries. US President Joe Biden’s security advisor confirmed that the President opposes the unilateral recognition of the State of Palestine and would continue to advocate for a negotiated two-state solution.