French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will officially recognise Palestinian statehood in an unprecedented move by the European country amid growing international calls for Israel to end its war on Gaza.

“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,” Mr Macron said in a statement on social media on Thursday, adding that the French people want peace in the Middle East.

According to the statement, the formal announcement of the decision will be presented by Mr Macron at the United Nations General Assembly in September, where the French leader plans to declare France’s recognition of the State of Palestine. 

“It is urgent to implement the only viable solution to fulfil the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, end all forms of terrorism and violence, and enable Israel and all the region’s countries to live in peace and security,” the politician said. “That is the aim of the high-level conference that France and Saudi Arabia will chair at the United Nations on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution.”

Mr Macron added, “In this context, I have the honour of confirming that, in light of your commitments, France will fully recognise Palestine as a State when I go to the United Nations General Assembly in September.”

Thursday’s announcement set France apart from the United States and its Western allies, which have continued to directly and indirectly support Israel in its persistent bloody military campaign in Gaza, and could cause friction between Mr Macron and United States President Donald Trump. 

Meanwhile, the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has condemned Mr Macron’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood, calling it a reward for terror in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, attack on the country by Hamas. 

“We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre. Such a move rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became,” Mr Netanyahu said in a post on X.

He added, “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.”