New York, United Nations – France has officially recognized the State of Palestine, joining a growing list of countries that have recently taken the same step amid mounting pressure on Israel over its military campaign in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, French President Emmanuel Macron declared: “The time for peace has come. There is no justification for the ongoing war in Gaza.” France’s announcement makes it the latest Western power to recognize Palestinian statehood.
France and Saudi Arabia co-hosted a special one-day conference at the UN focused on advancing a two-state solution. However, key G7 members — Germany, Italy, and the United States — did not attend the meeting, signaling divisions within the Western bloc.
Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra, and San Marino are expected to follow France’s lead in the coming days. On Sunday, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal also formally recognized Palestine, marking a wave of diplomatic shifts in favor of Palestinian statehood.
International pressure has intensified on Israel amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The Gaza conflict has entered its second year, with widespread global condemnation of the civilian death toll and deteriorating living conditions.
Israel has strongly rejected the recognitions, accusing the international community of “rewarding Hamas” for its October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which left nearly 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli military campaign began in response. Israel is currently carrying out a ground offensive aimed at seizing Gaza City, where over one million people live under siege conditions. UN officials confirmed last month that famine has already been recorded in parts of the enclave.
France’s recognition of Palestine marks a pivotal diplomatic shift, aligning Paris with a growing international consensus that peace in the region can only be achieved through a two-state solution. Yet, the absence of key powers such as the US and Germany underscores the geopolitical rift over how to address the conflict. With momentum building behind Palestinian recognition, the move increases pressure on Israel while raising fresh questions about whether symbolic gestures will translate into concrete progress toward peace.