Palestinians welcome EU nations' statehood vow as Israel hammers Gaza, killing a mother and her unborn child

The leaders of three European countries — Norway, Spain and Ireland — announced Wednesday that they would formally recognize a Palestinian state on May 28. The move is intended to pressure Israel to accept a political process to end its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Israel reacted angrily to the decision, calling it "a distorted step" and recalling its ambassadors to the three countries. The Jewish state's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, said he'd summoned the three countries' ambassadors in Israel and that they would be shown a harrowing video of the abduction of five female hostages by Hamas during its Oct. 7 terrorist attack, which sparked the ongoing war.