French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday on X (formerly Twitter) that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state.
"Out of a historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine," he wrote.
In his statement, Macron wrote, "In keeping with a historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. I will make this declaration official in a formal address to the UN General Assembly this coming September."
Macron stressed the urgency of halting the war in Gaza and evacuating civilians. He added, "Peace is possible," and called for "an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and extensive humanitarian aid for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."
According to the French president, "It is essential to ensure the disarmament of Hamas, and to secure and rebuild Gaza." He concluded that the creation of a Palestinian state must follow, one that is viable, recognized by Israel, and disarmed, which "will contribute to the security of everyone in the Middle East."
Macron argued that "there is no alternative." He said the French people want peace in the region: "It is up to us - the French, along with Israelis, Palestinians, and our European and international partners - to show that this is possible. In light of the commitments expressed to me by [Palestinian Authority President] Mahmoud Abbas, I have conveyed to him my determination to advance a political solution."
In April, Macron had already signaled that France might recognize a Palestinian state as early as June, in the framework of an international conference co-hosted with Saudi Arabia in New York. That announcement came shortly after his return from Egypt, where he discussed the ongoing war in Gaza and described the humanitarian situation there as "unbearable."
"We must move toward recognition, and we will do so in the coming months," Macron said in an interview broadcast Thursday on France 5. "Our goal is to hold, around June, a conference on Palestine with Saudi Arabia, where we can complete the process of mutual recognition by many states," he said, summarizing the planned step, which could reshape the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.
Later, Macron reiterated the message, stating, "I've seen numerous distorted interpretations of our policy on Gaza. France's position is clear: Yes to peace, yes to Israel's security, yes to a Palestinian state without Hamas," he wrote in Hebrew on X.
The French president emphasized that this requires the release of all hostages, a sustainable ceasefire, immediate resumption of humanitarian aid, and progress toward a two-state political solution. "There is no other path but a political solution," he said.
