France will officially recognize a Palestinian state in September, President Emmanuel Macron has said.
In a post on X, Macron said that the formal announcement would be made in a session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He said, “Today’s immediate requirement is to end the war in Gaza and the civilian population is to be saved. Peace is possible. We need to have an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages, and large -scale human assistance for the people of Gaza,” he wrote.
Palestinian authorities welcomed Macron’s move, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katj described it as “a capitulation for humiliation and terrorism”.
In his Thursday post on X, Macron wrote: “The Middle East is true for his historical commitment to a equitable and permanent peace, I have decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine.
“We should also guarantee the demonetisation of Hamas, and Gaza should be safe and reconstructed.
“Finally, we must build the state of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that by accepting its disintegration and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the safety of all in the Middle East. There is no option.”
Macron also attached a letter to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmood Abbas, confirming his decision.
Reacting to Macron’s announcement, according to the AFP news agency, Abbas Deputy Hussain Al-Sheikh said, “This situation reflects France’s commitment to international law and self-determination for the rights of Palestinians and its support for the establishment of our independent state”.
Meanwhile, Katz condemned the French verdict, saying that it was a back-up for a “reward and Hamas’s killers and abbators who had the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust”.
Currently, the state of Palestine is recognized by over 140 out of 193 member states of the United Nations.
Some European Union countries including Spain are among them.
But the main supporters of Israel, its colleagues including the US and the UK have not recognized the Palestinian state.
Israel argues that Hamas’s recognition of an independent Palestinian kingdom in view of “rewarding terrorism” in Israel on 7 October 2023.
The Israeli army launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and 251 others were taken hostage.
According to the health ministry of the region, at least 59,106 people have been killed in Gaza since then.
Since then, most of Gaza has reduced in debris.
Earlier on Thursday, The United Nations Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) said that one of the five children in Gaza city was now malnourished. And every day cases were increasing.
More than 100 international support organizations and human rights groups have also warned of massive starvation in the Gaza strip – pressure for governments to take action.
Israel, which controls the entry of all supply into the Palestinian region, has repeatedly stated that there is no siege, blaming Hamas for any case of malnutrition.
In a statement, The UK Prime Minister Sir Kir Stmper condemned the “inexplicable and indefinite” human conditions in Gaza.
He said that the situation was “grave for some time”, but it “reached new depth”.
“We are seeing a human havoc,” said Sir Kiir.