At the UN General Assembly, French president Emmanuel Macron officially recognized a Palestinian state, calling the move historic but symbolic—while saying that France would not open an embassy there without a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stressed that Palestine must join the UN on an equal footing with other states and urged immediate steps to stop the violence.
Their declarations, welcomed with applause by the Palestinian Authority, added to a growing wave of recognition by European and other Western countries, such as Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco. UN Secretary-General António Guterres insisted that international support for Palestine should not be silenced by threats of retaliation.
Israel, however, firmly rejected the move, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposing Palestinian statehood and Israeli officials warning it could reward Hamas and undermine peace efforts.
As if to confirm the PM’s claim, previously Hamas—the terrorist organization behind the October 7 pogrom—welcomed the earlier decision by Britain, Canada, and Australia, saying it will lead to a sovereign Palestinian state “with Jerusalem as its capital.”
