French President Emmanuel Macron has just announced that France will officially recognise Palestine as a state, a move set to be formalised at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The timing couldn’t be starker — the announcement comes as Gaza faces a level of suffering that aid groups are now describing as catastrophic, with famine conditions due to Israel’s blockade claiming dozens of lives in the past few days. (Israel claims Hamas is responsible for the lack of aid.)
In a statement posted to X, Macron made the French position clear: “Peace is possible.”
He wrote, “Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine.”
Macron also called directly for an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population”, as well as demanding the return of all hostages, increased humanitarian aid, and the demilitarisation of Hamas.
France’s recognition makes it the largest and most influential European country to take this step, joining more than 140 nations globally — including a growing number in Europe. France’s stance places immediate pressure on countries like the UK and Germany, which have so far held back as the violence continues.
But not everyone is welcoming the move. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar flatly rejected France’s announcement, calling it “ridiculous and not serious”, and stating, “A Palestinian state will be a Hamas state.”
The Israeli government has continued to argue that such moves reward what they describe as extremism, at a time when Israel maintains its ongoing siege and military campaign in Gaza.
Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis: Catastrophe Without End
While state leaders argue, ordinary Palestinians are in crisis. The situation in Gaza has gone from dire to almost unimaginable. According to multiple aid agencies, including Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, and Oxfam, famine is now widely reported across the strip, with thousands at risk of death simply from hunger. Over a thousand people have been killed recently in desperate attempts to get food as aid trucks are blocked and Israeli attacks continue.
The UN and World Health Organisation have both described what’s happening in Gaza as “man-made mass starvation” linked directly to aid restrictions and military action.
At least 45 people have died from starvation in the past four days according to The Guardian.
“This deepening crisis is affecting everyone, including those trying to save lives in the war-torn enclave … when caretakers cannot find enough to eat, the entire humanitarian system is collapsing,” Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said on Thursday.
Lazzarini said that a colleague in the area told him, “People in Gaza are neither dead nor alive, they are walking corpses.”
According to UN figures, at least 59,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, and more than 143,000 wounded — most of them civilians.
Ceasefire talks between US & Israel breakdown
Any hopes of ending the violence have all but vanished for now. Ceasefire negotiations that were underway in Qatar have fallen apart. Steve Witkoff, US Middle East envoy, explained the decision to pull the American team from talks this week: “We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza… While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith.”
Israel also recalled its negotiating team, with local media describing the move as an effort to ramp up pressure on Hamas.
According TRT Global, both teams’ withdrawal was coordinated, effectively freezing any progress.
The main disagreements are over issues like the release of hostages, prisoner swaps, and exactly where Israeli troops would redeploy after a truce — points which have repeatedly killed off any chance of stopping the bloodshed.
UK, Saudi reaction, and growing global pressure
France’s decision has only added to calls on the UK government to recognise Palestine. A cross-party committee of British MPs said it plainly: “It seems that the Israeli government is not listening to the UK. And while it listens to the US government, it only does so sporadically,” per Yahoo News.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that “a ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis”.
His statement continued: “The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Starmer is now under pressure to turn words into action, as France’s move puts the spotlight on every other Western government.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, called France’s recognition “historic”, and leaders across the Middle East are urging more countries to follow suit.
What happens now?
While diplomatic action inches forward, Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure horror on a historic scale.
Most of the world’s aid groups are warning that the crisis could become irreversible if things don’t change immediately.
As Macron puts it, “The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population.”
Lead image: Getty
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