Key points
- Macron urges Gaza ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and peace
- UK faces pressure to follow France’s recognition lead
- UN warns of child malnutrition, starvation in Gaza
ISLAMABAD: France will officially recognise Palestine as a state in September, President Emmanuel Macron announced, making it the first G7 country to do so. The formal declaration is expected during a United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine.
I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September.… pic.twitter.com/VTSVGVH41I
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2025
Macron called for an end to the war in Gaza, urging an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and substantial humanitarian aid for civilians. “Peace is possible,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), stressing the need to demilitarise Hamas and rebuild Gaza. He emphasised that recognising Palestine should contribute to security in the Middle East, alongside full recognition of Israel, according to the BBC.
Today, our Consul in Jerusalem delivered a letter from President @EmmanuelMacron to the Palestinian Authority: France will formally recognize the State of Palestine this September.
The President has made this commitment — and I will reaffirm it at the United Nations this Monday. pic.twitter.com/kJqoDaOeAP
— Jean-Noël Barrot (@jnbarrot) July 24, 2025
Palestinian officials welcomed the announcement. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas received a letter from Macron confirming France’s decision, which his deputy Hussein al-Sheikh described as a commitment to international law and Palestinian self-determination.
Condemning the move
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the move, calling it a “reward for terror” following Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Netanyahu alleged that recognising Palestine “next to Tel Aviv” would encourage attempts to destroy Israel rather than peaceful coexistence.
We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre. Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.
A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 24, 2025
The United States also rejected Macron’s decision, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing it as “reckless.” The G7, a group of major industrialised nations, includes France, the US, the UK, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan.
The United States strongly rejects @EmmanuelMacron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the @UN general assembly.
This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) July 25, 2025
So far, only some EU countries like Spain and Ireland have recognised Palestine, while Israel’s main allies, including the US and UK, have not.
Emergency call
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced plans for an emergency call with French and German leaders to discuss urgent efforts to halt the violence. He acknowledged Palestinian statehood as an “inalienable right” and suggested a ceasefire could pave the way to a two-state solution.
His position faces pressure from MPs, with the UK’s foreign affairs committee calling for immediate recognition of Palestine.
Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and Oxfam International were among the 115 international aid groups that signed a statement describing food shortages in Gaza as “mass starvation,” as the “Israeli government’s siege starves the people of Gaza.”https://t.co/COAosCfjf0 pic.twitter.com/5qaWu640On
— ABC News (@ABC) July 23, 2025
The UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) reported rising child malnutrition in Gaza City, while more than 100 aid organisations warn of potential mass starvation.
