ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announced his country's recognition of a Palestinian state during his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), following similar declarations by several Western nations a day earlier. The diplomatic shift comes in light of nearly two years of conflict in the Gaza Strip and strong opposition from Israel.
“France today recognizes a State of Palestine,” Macron said at the UN summit, where leaders from 140 countries gathered. He said the step was aimed at supporting “peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.”
Macron added that France could establish an embassy in the state of Palestine once all Israeli hostages held in Gaza are released and a ceasefire is in place.
The Palestinian Authority hailed the announcement, calling it “a historic and courageous decision that is consistent with international law and United Nations resolutions and supports ongoing efforts to achieve peace and implement the two-state solution.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also welcomed the momentum, writing on X that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “morally, legally & politically intolerable” and urging world leaders to ensure the two-state solution prevails.
Australia, Canada, Portugal, and the United Kingdom officially recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday. Macron on Monday said that Spain, Ireland, Norway and Sweden "are also going down the same path".
The UNGA meeting - co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia - aims to revive the long-stalled two-state solution, envisioning independent Israeli and Palestinian states coexisting within secure and recognized borders. It will also seek to establish a ceasefire in Gaza and facilitate the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas since its October 7, 2023 attack.
On that day, Hamas launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. While a ceasefire was reached in mid-January, Israel resumed military operations in late March, saying it aimed to rescue the remaining 48 hostages believed to still be held in Gaza.
The Gaza health ministry reported last week that the Palestinian death toll from Israel’s military campaign has surpassed 64,900.
Israeli officials have rejected the European recognition of Palestine. “I have a clear message to those leaders who are recognizing a Palestinian state after the horrendous October 7 massacre: You are rewarding terror with an enormous prize,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.