By Daniel Edelson, New York

Copyright ynetnews

French President Emmanuel Macron announced late on Monday that France has recognized a Palestinian state, delivering the declaration at a United Nations event that serves as the culmination of a French-Saudi conference aimed at advancing a two-state solution. His announcement was followed by other countries, including Monaco. The announcement comes one day after the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal recognized a Palestinian state, and leaders from several other countries plan similar declarations in the coming hours. The diplomatic push is being led by Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Macron framed the decision as urgent, warning that the situation in Gaza could still deteriorate further — with more civilian casualties, forced displacement of Gaza residents to Egypt, annexation moves in the West Bank, the deaths of hostages held by Hamas or the creation of irreversible facts on the ground. “That is why, here in this hall, we must pave the way to peace,” he said, adding that events since last July have accelerated and that there is now a real risk the Abraham Accords and Camp David accords will be undermined, making peace in the Middle East unattainable for a long time. Macron said Israel is expanding operations in Gaza “with the stated aim of destroying Hamas,” and warned of the humanitarian toll: hundreds of thousands uprooted, wounded, starved and traumatized. He argued that while Hamas has been significantly weakened, a durable ceasefire negotiated now is the surest path to securing the release of hostages and ending the suffering. “Nothing, nothing, justifies the continuing war in Gaza,” he said. “On the contrary — everything compels us to bring it to a final end.” Macron went further, stressing that recognizing a Palestinian state was also “a defeat for Hamas, and for those who fuel antisemitism, nurture obsessive anti-Zionism, and seek the destruction of Israel.” He also announced that “a French embassy in the State of Palestine will open once the hostages are released.” Macron said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had pledged to him and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to dismantle Hamas, exclude it from any future governance, and implement sweeping reforms in the Palestinian system. France, he added, would closely monitor whether these commitments are honored. Invoking former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, Macron recalled that Rabin was assassinated nearly 30 years ago “because he wanted peace.” He said he hears the sorrow and fatigue of Israelis and urged their leaders to also commit to peace. Following speeches by Macron and Mohammed bin Salman and a planned address by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, other leaders were expected to announce recognition of a Palestinian state. Macron said Belgium, Andorra, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco and San Marino would join the move uncertainty remained over whether New Zealand and Finland would follow. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan accused Israel of “continuing its aggression and brutal crimes against Palestinians in Gaza, as well as violations in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and repeated attacks on Arab and Muslim sovereignty, the latest being against Qatar.” He warned that such practices threaten regional peace and stability. UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed France’s recognition, stressing that nothing could justify Hamas’s October 7 massacre or the taking of hostages, but also nothing could justify “collective punishment of the Palestinian people or any form of ethnic cleansing.” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking remotely from Ramallah after being denied entry to the U.S., praised Macron and the initiative, calling the UN declaration a “historic step.” He said the PA was committed to reforming governance, disarming Hamas, holding elections, and even revising Palestinian textbooks in line with UNESCO standards, insisting Hamas would have no role in future governance. Jordan’s King Abdullah welcomed France’s move, reiterating that a two-state solution is “the only way to ensure security in the Middle East and the world.” He called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to flow without obstruction. Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon strongly rejected the initiative. “While 48 hostages are still held by Hamas, world leaders led by Macron are staging a meaningless summit and declaration,” he said, arguing that the move grants political legitimacy to Hamas rather than pressing the militants to free the captives. “This is not a step toward peace but a dangerous political theatre. When Hamas claps and praises such an initiative, it is clear they are on the wrong side of history. Political reward for terror will not bring peace.” The recognition follows the New York Declaration adopted on July 29 at an international ministers’ conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia and a UN General Assembly vote on September 12 backed by 142 countries — including four of the five permanent Security Council members and six of seven G7 states. The statement for the first time included an official condemnation of Hamas and called for an end to the war, the release of hostages, the return of the Palestinian Authority to Gaza, the disarmament and removal of Hamas from power, and steps toward normalization between Arab states and Israel. Israel has not yet decided on a formal response to the wave of recognitions, and a range of options is reportedly under consideration. One possible step is annexation of the Jordan Valley a senior associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, suggested such a move could be passed with relative ease in the United States, including among some Democrats. Other responses being weighed range from total silence to applying Israeli sovereignty across Judea and Samaria, though the latter appears unlikely. Netanyahu has said Israel’s reaction will be announced only after his return from a U.S. trip, where he is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly and meet President Donald Trump. At the same time, messages have been sent to the French government warning of strong diplomatic measures in response to Paris’s initiative. One option under consideration would be the closure of the French consulate in Jerusalem, which handles relations with the Palestinians. France has indicated it will not accept such a step.