ISLAMABAD: Monitoring Desk – President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will officially recognize the State of Palestine, marking a significant shift in French foreign policy amid growing international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a statement posted on X, Macron said the formal recognition will be presented at the United Nations General Assembly in September. “The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,” he wrote.
“Given its historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. Peace is possible.”
The announcement makes France the largest and most influential European nation to formally recognize Palestinian statehood. According to an AFP tally, a total of 142 countries now recognize Palestine, despite continued opposition from Israel and its key ally, the United States.
Macron also posted a letter addressed to President Mahmoud Abbas, reaffirming France’s commitment to a two-state solution and its long-standing support for Palestinian rights and aspirations.
While France has long supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, it had stopped short of unilateral recognition. Macron’s decision comes in the wake of mounting civilian casualties and starvation in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated rapidly amid the total Israeli blockade imposed on the territory.
President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine has welcomed a letter from French President Emmanuel Macron, in which Macron affirmed that France will officially recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session in September.
President Abbas expressed deep appreciation for the courageous step by France, one that will contribute significantly to achieving peace based on the two-state solution in line with international legitimacy and international law.
President Abbas also extended his gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its efforts and steadfast positions, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. He credited their leadership with playing a key role in encouraging France’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine.
The President further praised the efforts of the Arab-Islamic Foreign Ministers Committee and all its members, as well as the broader international coalition supporting the implementation of the two-state solution. He also commended the work of the task forces and participants in the upcoming International Peace Conference scheduled to take place in New York at the end of this month.
“This move is a victory for the Palestinian cause,” President Abbas said. “It reflects France’s genuine commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights to their land and homeland, in accordance with international law and recognized legitimacy.”
He emphasized that France’s recognition is a testament to the role of countries that believe in the two-state solution and are committed to salvaging it, especially in light of Israel’s systematic efforts to undermine it, particularly through the ongoing war of genocide in Gaza.
President Abbas urged all countries, especially European nations that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine, to do so based on the internationally endorsed two-state solution. He also emphasized the importance of supporting Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations.
