French President Emmanuel Macron has declared his intent to officially recognize Palestine as an independent state, marking a notable policy shift that distances France from the stance of the United States and most of its Western allies.
In a message posted on X on Thursday, Macron revealed that he will formally announce this decision at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York this September. He framed the recognition as part of France’s “historic responsibility to promote peace and justice” in the region.
“What matters most now is stopping the violence in Gaza and protecting innocent lives,” he wrote.
Although a majority of nations worldwide already acknowledge Palestine as a state, key powers such as the US, UK, and Germany have refrained from doing so. If implemented, Macron’s pledge would make France the first G7 nation to take such a step, signaling a dramatic break from the current Western consensus.
The announcement arrives as the United States continues to push for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Earlier Thursday, US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said that Washington had called its team back for internal talks after Hamas delivered a response that, according to him, showed “no real interest” in ending the conflict.
The deal being negotiated proposes a two-month truce, with Hamas releasing ten live hostages and the bodies of 18 more, in exchange for Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons. The agreement would also boost humanitarian access, with both sides expected to work toward a broader peace agreement during that period.
However, negotiations remain stalled over deep disagreements. Hamas insists on a total Israeli pullout and an end to the war before freeing all hostages. Israel, meanwhile, has vowed not to end its campaign until Hamas is dismantled and disarmed—conditions the group refuses to accept.
The war began in October 2023 after a Hamas attack on southern Israel left 1,200 people dead. Since then, the death toll in Gaza has risen to over 59,000, according to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry.
Fidèle à son engagement historique pour une paix juste et durable au Proche-Orient, j’ai décidé que la France reconnaîtra l’État de Palestine.
J’en ferai l’annonce solennelle à l’Assemblée générale des Nations unies, au mois de septembre prochain.… pic.twitter.com/7yQLkqoFWC
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2025
