France has formally recognized a Palestinian state, becoming the latest country to do so amid growing international calls for a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict.
Speaking at the United Nations in New York, President Emmanuel Macron declared that “the time for peace has come” and insisted that “nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza.” France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting a one-day summit at the UN General Assembly dedicated to plans for a two-state solution. G7 members Germany, Italy and the United States did not attend.
Macron confirmed that Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra and San Marino will also recognize a Palestinian state, following similar announcements by the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal on Sunday. The French leader urged an end to the war and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, warning against the “peril of endless wars” and stressing that “right must always prevail over might.”
International pressure on Israel is mounting over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and continued settlement expansion in the West Bank. Israel has condemned the recognition of Palestinian statehood as a move that rewards Hamas for its 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military action since then. Israeli forces are currently conducting a ground offensive in Gaza City, where a famine was confirmed last month.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, speaking on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told the UN that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to lasting peace in the region. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the situation in Gaza “morally, legally and politically intolerable” and likewise said a two-state solution was “the only credible path” to peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, unable to attend in person after the US revoked visas for him and other Palestinian officials, addressed the conference via video link. He called for a permanent ceasefire, condemned Hamas’s 7 October attack and said the group should hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority. “What we want is one unified state without weapons,” Abbas said, addressing Israelis directly: “Our future and yours depends on peace. Enough violence and war.”
