PARIS, France – France will formally recognize the State of Palestine this September, President Emmanuel Macron has announced, marking a historic policy shift that would make it the first member of the G7 bloc to do so.
Macron made the declaration in a post on X on Thursday, stating that the official recognition would be announced during the United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
“Peace is possible,” Macron wrote. “We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza… True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine.”
The decision signals a bold diplomatic move by France at a time when the Gaza conflict continues to devastate the region.
Macron also sent a formal letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, confirming France’s intention to support Palestinian statehood, conditioned on the demilitarization of Hamas and a commitment to Israel’s security.
Mixed Global Reactions
The announcement has triggered sharply polarised responses from global leaders.
Palestinian officials hailed the move as a long-overdue affirmation of their right to statehood.
Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official and close aide to President Abbas, said France’s decision reflected a commitment to “international law and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.”
Hamas, the militant group currently governing Gaza, described the move as “a positive step in the right direction” and urged other nations to follow France’s lead.
But Israel condemned the recognition in the strongest terms. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Macron of rewarding terror in the aftermath of the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage.
“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.”
The United States also denounced the decision, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it “reckless.”
The U.S., along with other major allies including the UK, has long resisted recognizing a Palestinian state outside of a negotiated two-state solution.
Pressure Mounting in Europe
Macron’s move has added pressure on other European leaders to reconsider their stance.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, facing mounting calls from within his party to act, said he would hold an emergency call with French and German leaders on Friday to “discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing.”
While stopping short of committing to recognition, Starmer reiterated that Palestinian statehood is an “inalienable right” and that a ceasefire would “put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution.”
The UK parliament’s foreign affairs committee added to the pressure on Friday, urging the government to recognize Palestine immediately “while there is still a state to recognize.”
Saudi Arabia also applauded France’s move, calling it a reaffirmation of international support for Palestinian self-determination.
A Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
Macron’s announcement comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza grows increasingly dire.
According to the Gaza health ministry, over 59,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign in response to the October 7 attack. Large swathes of the territory have been reduced to rubble.
The UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, Unrwa, reported on Thursday that one in five children in Gaza City is malnourished, with the situation deteriorating daily.
More than 100 aid and human rights groups have warned of mass starvation in the enclave and are urging urgent international action.
Israel continues to insist that it is not imposing a siege on Gaza, blaming Hamas for the scarcity of aid reaching civilians.
A Calculated Gamble
France’s decision to break ranks with the rest of the G7 may deepen tensions among key Western allies.
But it also puts pressure on global powers to act decisively toward ending the war and restarting peace efforts.
With more than 140 of the 193 UN member states already recognising Palestine, Macron’s gamble positions France as a potential catalyst for a new international consensus—or a deepening diplomatic rift.
As the war in Gaza grinds on, and political pressure mounts across European capitals, the ripple effects of Macron’s announcement are only beginning to unfold.
