• French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.
• The decision has received mixed reactions globally, with strong condemnation from Israel and the United States.
• Macron emphasized the urgency of halting the war in Gaza and providing humanitarian aid to civilians.
• European leaders, including those from Ireland and Spain, welcomed the decision as a step towards a two-state solution.
• Israel labeled the move as rewarding terrorism and posing a threat to its security.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on July 24 that France will officially recognize the State of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly in September. Macron stated, "True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine," emphasizing the urgent need to end the war in Gaza and assist the civilian population according to aa and scmp.

The announcement has garnered significant backlash, particularly from Israeli leaders who accused France of "rewarding terror" and creating another Iranian proxy, as stated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He argued that a Palestinian state under the current conditions would be a "launch pad to annihilate Israel" rather than fostering peace according to lemonde, bbc, and independent.

The United States also strongly rejected Macron's plan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as a "reckless decision" that undermines peace efforts and serves as a "slap in the face" to victims of the October 7 attacks, calling it "Hamas propaganda" as reported by thejakartapost and aljazeera.

However, European leaders largely welcomed the move. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris described it as "an important contribution towards implementing the two-state solution" while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasized the necessity of protecting the two-state solution from increasing hostility according to aa and middleeasteye.

The French government has asserted that recognizing Palestinian statehood is an essential step towards peace and stability and emphasized the need for negotiations to establish final status issues, including borders and security provisions according to aa and channelnewsasia.