France among six more countries to formally recognise Palestinian statehood

France, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco join diplomatic push as Israel unleashes fierce attacks on Gaza, ‘Al Jazeera’ reports.

The leaders of six countries, including France, have moved to recognise Palestinian statehood at a high-level summit ahead of the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York.

Alongside France, which co-convened the meeting with Saudi Arabia on Monday in New York, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco said they were recognising a Palestinian state.

Leaders from Australia, Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom, which formally made the move to recognise Palestine a day earlier, also spoke at the meeting.

The additional countries recognising Palestine now join some 147 of the 193 UN member states that had already formally recognised Palestinian statehood as of April this year.

With more than 80 percent of the international community now recognising the state of Palestine, diplomatic pressure has ramped up on Israel as it continues its genocidal war on Gaza, where more than 65,300 Palestinians have been killed and the has been enclave turned into rubble.

Spain, Norway and Ireland recognised Palestinian statehood last year, with Madrid also imposing sanctions on Israel for its war on Gaza.

President of France Macron, in his speech to the summit, also outlined a framework for the creation of a “renewed Palestinian Authority”. The post-war framework envisages an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) that would assist in preparing the Palestinian Authority (PA) to take over governance in Gaza.

“We have gathered here because the time has come,” Macron said at the summit convened to revive the long-delayed two-state solution to end the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“It falls on us, this responsibility, to do everything in our power to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution,” Macron said.

“Today, I declare that France recognises the state of Palestine,” he said.

Prince Albert II of Monaco announced Monday evening his country's official recognition of the State of Palestine, WAFA reports.

This came in his speech at the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held in New York.

The Prince of Monaco said: "We wish to recognize the State of Palestine under international law... Peace must not remain a distant dream, and a solution based on two states living side by side will bring stability to the region."

Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela announced his country's official recognition of the State of Palestine during the International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

He said, "The two-state solution is the only way to guarantee peace in the Middle East, and Malta supports the Palestinian Authority's approach of one state, one government, one law, and one weapon."

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever announced that his country recognizes the State of Palestine.

Luxembourg's Prime Minister Luc Frieden announced his country's official recognition of the State of Palestine.

Andorra's Foreign Minister, Imma Tor Faus, announced that her country recognizes the State of Palestine.

This came in the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, held in New York.

Although the vast majority of UN member states now recognise Palestinian statehood, new UN member states must have the support of the UN Security Council, where the US has used its veto to block Palestine from becoming a full UN member state.

‘A right, not a reward’

Speaking at the summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his support for the two-state solution, framing it as the only viable path towards peace after years of failed negotiations and ongoing violence.

Guterres said that statehood for Palestinians “is a right, not a reward”, rejecting US and Israeli claims that it was a reward for Hamas.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, thanked Macron and the UN chief for their efforts towards a two-state solution, which he said is “the only way to achieve just and lasting peace”.

He said the conference comes at a time when “the Israeli occupation authorities continue their aggression and their brutal crimes” against Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel also continues its “violations in the West Bank, and its repeated attacks on Arab and Muslim countries, with the most recent attack on Qatar”, he said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas described the recognition of Palestinian state by six more countries “a significant and necessary step” in achieving just and lasting peace.

In statements carried by the official news agency Wafa, Abbas welcomed the official recognition of the independent and sovereign state of Palestine by France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, and Andorra at a UN conference on the two-state solution on Monday.

“These recognitions represent a significant and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace in line with legitimate UN resolutions,” Abbas said.

He said “the recognition of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, freedom, and the embodiment of their independence” will pave the way for the implementation of the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The president stressed the urgent necessity of reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that would enable the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees and the full withdrawal of Israeli army from the enclave.

He reaffirmed “all the commitments and reforms undertaken by the State of Palestine” in this regard.

…The US, Israel’s closest ally, has criticised Western governments for their recognition of Palestine, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier saying that the move will “embolden [Hamas]” and make it harder to end the war.

On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US President Donald Trump believes the countries’ recognition of Palestine “is a reward to Hamas”.

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs