On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France officially recognizes the State of Palestine, joining the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal.

This declaration came during his opening speech at the International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Issue and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France, with dozens of world leaders participating at the United Nations General Assembly headquarters in New York.

Macron stated, “I announce that from today on, France recognizes the State of Palestine,” emphasizing that recognition is the only path to peace.

He added that recognizing Palestine is a defeat for Hamas, claiming the group has been militarily neutralized by eliminating its leadership. Macron also stressed that the Palestinian state must be demilitarized.

He noted that France’s cooperation with Israel will be tied to its efforts toward achieving peace, asserting that this recognition is the only way for Israel to live in peace.

He continued, “We must fulfill the original promise of establishing two states, where law prevails over force,” adding that the next phase should focus on reconstruction and stability in Gaza.

Macron also said, “France is ready to support an international mission to stabilize Gaza and to train and equip Palestinian security forces,” noting that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has committed to reforms and distancing Hamas from Gaza.

He added, “We will establish a French embassy in the State of Palestine once the hostages are released.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres thanked Saudi Arabia and France for convening the two-state solution conference. In his speech, he expressed disappointment over the Palestinian delegation being denied attendance at the UN.

He welcomed international efforts to rally support for the two-state solution, stating that nothing justifies Israel’s collective punishment of the Palestinian people, and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Guterres added, “We must commit to the two-state solution before it’s too late,” stressing that there can be no peace in the Middle East without it. He warned that denying Palestinian statehood is a gift to extremists on both sides.

The conference follows the official recognition of Palestine by the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, bringing the total number of UN member states recognizing Palestine to around 155 out of 193.

On September 12, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted the “New York Declaration”—a Saudi-French initiative to revive and support the two-state solution. The declaration outlines “concrete, time-bound, and irreversible steps” toward establishing two states: Israel and Palestine.

The two-state solution is the only framework rooted in international law and backed by the global community. It envisions two independent states—Israel and Palestine—living side by side in peace and security, within safe and recognized borders based on pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, in accordance with international law, UN resolutions, and relevant agreements.

The UN affirms that the two-state solution is the only credible path to a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians and is the “essential condition” for peace across the entire Middle East, according to the official UN website.