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French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France will officially recognize a Palestinian state, with a formal declaration to be made at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
“Faithful to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron wrote in a statement shared on X and Instagram.
The move would make France the most significant European power to recognize Palestinian statehood. Including France, 142 countries have now extended recognition, according to an AFP tally. The decision comes despite strong opposition from Israel and the United States..
Macron stressed that the immediate priority must be to end the war in Gaza and protect civilians.
“The urgent priority today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to be rescued,” he said. “Peace is possible.”
He called for an immediate cease-fire, the release of all hostages, and large-scale humanitarian aid. He also underscored the need to demilitarize Hamas, secure the enclave, and begin efforts to rebuild Gaza.
Macron said recognition of Palestine must be part of a broader peace initiative.
“We must finally build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and enable it—by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel—to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East,” he said.
“There is no alternative,” he added, noting that the French people want peace and that achieving it requires joint efforts by Israelis, Palestinians, and international partners.
Macron said he conveyed his decision in a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, citing “the commitments made to me by the President of the Palestinian Authority.”
“Trust, clarity, and commitment. We will achieve peace,” he wrote.
Palestinians on Thursday welcomed Macron's announcement that France would formally recognise a State of Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly later this year.
Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas's deputy Hussein al-Sheikh said the move "reflects France's commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people's rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state".
Meanwhile, Hamas also hailed France's pledge on Thursday to recognise a State of Palestine as a "positive step" and urged all countries to do the same despite Israeli opposition.
"We consider this a positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to self-determination," Hamas said in a statement.
"We call on all countries of the world --especially European nations and those that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine -- to follow France's lead," Hamas added.
European leaders also on Thursday welcomed Macron’s announcement, calling it a key step toward peace in the Middle East.
“I welcome the announcement by President Macron that France will recognise Palestine in September,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on X.
“This is an important contribution towards implementing the two-state solution, which offers the only lasting basis for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” he added.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also expressed support for the French decision, emphasizing the urgency of preserving a path to a negotiated settlement.
“I welcome that France joins Spain and other European countries in recognizing the State of Palestine,” he said on X. “Together, we must protect what Netanyahu is trying to destroy. The two-state solution is the only solution,” he added.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney called on the UK government to follow France’s lead. “The UK should follow the example of France tonight and recognise the State of Palestine. This is essential for peace,” he said on X..
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials, on the other hand, expressed strong outrage after Macron's decision. In a statement issued by his office, Netanyahu condemned Macron’s pledge as “rewarding terror,” referring to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israel.
“I strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre,” the statement said. It added that such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.”
“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it,” Netanyahu said. “Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”
Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin called Macron’s move a “disgrace in French history” and demanded that Israel annex West Bank settlements in retaliation.
“Now is the time to apply sovereignty to Judea and Samaria,” Levin said, according to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz also criticized Macron, saying, “Instead of standing by Israel at this critical moment, the French president chooses to weaken us... We will never allow the creation of a Palestinian entity that threatens our existence.”
The Yesha Council, an umbrella organization representing municipal councils of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, urged the Israeli government to respond by extending Israeli sovereignty over the territory, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
Macron announced Thursday: “In line with our historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine.”
Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 59,500 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsing the health system and causing severe food shortages.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in Gaza.
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