France recognises Palestinian state

New Delhi, Sep 23: France has formally recognised a Palestinian state, President Emmanuel Macron announced at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the BBC reported.

“The time for peace has come,” Mr Macron said, adding that “nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza.” He warned against the “peril of endless wars” and stressed that “right must always prevail over might.”

France and Saudi Arabia co-hosted a one-day summit on the sidelines of the UNGA, focused on reviving a two-state solution. However, G7 members Germany, Italy and the United States did not attend. The move comes after the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal extended recognition on Sunday. Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra and San Marino are also preparing to follow suit, according to the BBC.

Israel has criticised the wave of recognition, arguing that it rewards Hamas for the 7 October 2023 assault in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Since then, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to Gaza’s health ministry, the BBC said. Israel is currently pressing a ground offensive in Gaza City, where famine was confirmed last month. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, told the UN that a two-state solution was “the only path” to peace. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged a new financial mechanism for Gaza’s reconstruction, announcing the creation of a “Palestine Donor Group.” UN Secretary General António Guterres described the situation in Gaza as “morally, legally and politically intolerable,” while again urging commitment to a two-state solution.