Macron: France Will Recognize Palestine

By Staff, Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that his country will recognize Palestine as a state in pursuit of what he called a “historic commitment to a just and lasting peace” in the region.

In a surprise statement on X on Thursday, Macron said that he would make a formal announcement to this effect at the United Nations General Assembly in September in New York.

“The urgent need today is to end the war in Gaza and to rescue the civilian population,” he added.

While most countries around the world recognize Palestine as a nation, the United States and many of its close allies do not. With President Macron’s decision, France would be the first major country in the G7 – comprised of the US, Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Italy – to officially recognize a Palestinian state.

Earlier on Thursday, US Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff said that Washington had decided to bring its negotiating team home for consultations “after the latest response from Hamas,” alleging that it “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”

The deal under discussion calls for a 60-day truce during which Hamas would release ten living captives and the remains of 18 more in phases, in exchange for Palestinian detainees held by "Israel".