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French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that his country will soon recognize a Palestinian state, a decision that was condemned by Israel. The news came as talks on seeking a ceasefire in Gaza were halted when the U.S. and Israel recalled their delegations.
The departure of the U.S. and Israeli delegations marked the latest setback in efforts to secure a deal that would bring a ceasefire to Gaza, secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and bring respite to Palestinians suffering a sharply worsening humanitarian crisis.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff accused the Palestinian militant group of failing to act in good faith in the talks. Hamas said it was surprised by those remarks, adding the group’s position had been welcomed by mediators and had opened the door to reaching a comprehensive agreement.
“The movement affirms its keenness to continue negotiations and engage in them in a manner that helps overcome obstacles and leads to a permanent ceasefire agreement,” Hamas said in a statement early Friday.
An Israeli official with knowledge of the talks said Hamas’s response to the latest ceasefire proposal “does not allow for progress without a concession” by the group but that Israel intended to continue discussions.
Both Israel and Hamas are facing pressure at home and abroad to reach a deal following almost two years of war, with the humanitarian situation inside Gaza deteriorating and Israelis worried about the conditions in which hostages are being held.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement late Thursday, “Canada condemns the Israeli government’s failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza.”
He also said Canada “calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith,” while also urging the release of all Hamas-held hostages and for Israel “to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza.”
‘France will recognize’
Macron on Thursday announced the recognition decision on X, sharing a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France’s intention to press ahead and work to convince other partners to follow suit.
“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,” Macron said.
“I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”
Fidèle à son engagement historique pour une paix juste et durable au Proche-Orient, j’ai décidé que la France reconnaîtra l’État de Palestine.
J’en ferai l’annonce solennelle à l’Assemblée générale des Nations unies, au mois de septembre prochain.… pic.twitter.com/7yQLkqoFWC
France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, will become the biggest Western power to recognize a Palestinian state, potentially giving greater momentum to a movement so far dominated by smaller nations that are generally more critical of Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Macron’s decision, saying that such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”
“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a post on X.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism,” adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence.”
In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed any steps that would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, even saying it could go against U.S. foreign policy interests and draw consequences.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X late Thursday that the U.S. “strongly rejects” Macron’s plan, which the diplomat cast as a “reckless decision” that “only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.”
The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, welcomed Macron’s decision.
”We express our thanks and appreciation” to Macron, said Hussein Al Sheikh, the vice-president of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) under Abbas, in a post on X. ”This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination.”
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada supports the creation of a two-state solution, but there are steps that must be undertaken.
“We do need to see the return of all hostages, we need to ensure that Hamas lays down its arms and does not participate, in any way, in the governance of an eventual two-state solution,” said Anand, who spoke to CBC News in Inuvik, N.W.T.
Anand also said it’s critical for humanitarian aid “to flow immediately” to civilians in Gaza.
Months of consideration by Macron
Macron, who has less than two years remaining in his second presidential term, had been leaning toward recognizing a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive despite the pressure not to do so.
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French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel’s security.
The conference was postponed under U.S. pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which regional airspace was closed, making it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend.
It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28-29, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week’s conference aimed to give the French team at the UN a framework to work with other countries who are also considering recognizing a Palestinian state or still have misgivings in doing so.
Diplomats say Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Some 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week — including Canada’s Anand.
Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have described as “a nuclear bomb” for bilateral relations.
The idea that France, one of Israel’s closest allies and a G7 member, could recognize a Palestinian state would certainly infuriate Netanyahu.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Israel’s warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris’s regional initiatives — even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank.
Israel has been fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognizing a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas.
The war began when Hamas killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in its Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health authorities.