France will officially recognize the Palestinian state in September, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.
Thus, France will become the first member state in the group of seven most industrialized countries (G7) to take this step.
Through a post on X – formerly Twitter – Macron said that the official announcement will be made at the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
"The urgent need today is to end the war in Gaza and save the civilian population. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza," he wrote.
Palestinian officials have welcomed Macron's decision, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the decision "rewards terror" following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hamas is a terrorist organization designated by the United States and other powers.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US "strongly opposes" Macron's decision and sees it as "reckless".
The G7 group also consists of the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan.
In his post on X, Macron said that France will recognize the Palestinian state in line with its historic commitment to long-term peace in the Middle East.
"We must guarantee the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza."
Macron has made public the letter he sent to the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, confirming the decision.
Responding to Macron's announcement, Abbas' deputy, Hussein al-Sheikh, said that "this position reflects France's commitment to international law and its support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state," the AFP news agency reported.
Currently, the Palestinian state is recognized by more than 140 of the 193 member states of the United Nations.
Several European Union countries – including Spain and Ireland – are among them.
The US, Israel's main ally, does not recognize the Palestinian state.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to the attack carried out by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people and took about 240 others hostage.
According to Palestinian health authorities, over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then.
Most of Gaza is now reduced to ruins.
The UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) has said that one in five children in Gaza City is now malnourished and that the number of cases is increasing every day.
Over 100 international aid organizations and human rights groups have warned of mass starvation in the Gaza Strip, putting pressure on governments around the world to act.
Israel, which controls all supplies entering Gaza, reiterates that there is no siege and blames Hamas for any cases of malnutrition./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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