PARIS, July 24, 2025 (WAFA) — French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France will officially recognize the State of Palestine, marking a significant shift in French foreign policy amid growing international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a statement posted on X, Macron said the formal recognition will be presented at the United Nations General Assembly in September. "The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved," he wrote.
"Given its historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. Peace is possible."
The announcement makes France the largest and most influential European nation to formally recognize Palestinian statehood. According to an AFP tally, a total of 142 countries now recognize Palestine, despite continued opposition from Israel and its key ally, the United States.
Macron also posted a letter addressed to President Mahmoud Abbas, reaffirming France's commitment to a two-state solution and its long-standing support for Palestinian rights and aspirations.
While France has long supported a negotiated two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, it had stopped short of unilateral recognition. Macron's decision comes in the wake of mounting civilian casualties and starvation in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated rapidly amid the total Israeli blockade imposed on the territory.
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