French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 22, 2025. French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday at a UN meeting on the two-state solution that his country recognizes the State of Palestine, joining most of the other UN member states that have already done so. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

France and several other Western nations formally declared their recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations on Monday, as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal declared recognition over the weekend.

France on Monday recognized the state of Palestine at a UN summit in New York nearly two years into the war in Gaza, joining Western allies such as Britain and Canada who made the same historic move, France 24 reported on Tuesday.

"The time for peace has come, as we are just moments away from no longer being able to seize it," French President Emmanuel Macron told the summit at the UN General Assembly Hall, per the report.

"France recognizes the state of Palestine," Macron said to loud applause from the leaders and top officials from more than 140 leaders in attendance, according to the report.

"We must do everything within our power to preserve the very possibility of a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security," said Macron.

He also said France would only open an embassy to a Palestinian state when all the hostages being held by Hamas are released and a ceasefire had been agreed.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the summit, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said the US and Israel "will not participate in this charade," and expressed disappointment toward Macron, according to CNN.

Monaco, Malta and Luxembourg also declared their support during the summit on a two-state solution in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, CNN News reported on Tuesday. Belgium also declared its recognition but said it can only take legal effect if Hamas is removed and hostages are returned, per the report.

The decision by four nations from the West, which has traditionally allied with Israel, aligned them with more than 140 other countries also backing Palestinians' aspiration to forge an independent homeland from the occupied territories, Reuters reported.

In addition to the latest statements from some countries expressing support for Palestine, a number of officials have also voiced their affirmation of the two-state solution.

Antonio Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, begins his speech by acknowledging the Palestinian delegation, Sky News reported. Guterres said that the current situation is "morally, legally and politically intolerable."

He added that without two states, there will be no peace in the Middle East and warned that "radicalism" will spread around the world, the report said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed her support for the two-state solution in a post published on X on Tuesday.

She said, "When the night is darkest, we must hold fast to our compass," adding that "And our compass is the two-state solution."

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also addressed the UN, on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, BBC News reported. He reiterated that a two-state solution was the only way to achieve lasting peace in the region.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas - who was blocked from attending the UN General Assembly in person after the US revoked his and other Palestinian officials' visas - addressed the conference via videolink, according to CNN.

He called for a permanent ceasefire and said Hamas could have no role in governing Gaza, calling for the group to "surrender their weapons" to the Palestinian Authority (PA), said the report.

The US and Israel boycotted Monday's meeting, said Reuters. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said Israel would discuss how to respond to the announcements of recognition after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns to Israel next week. The US has told other countries that Palestinian recognition will create more problems, per the report.

US President Donald Trump will present a group of Arab and Muslim leaders on Tuesday with principles for peace and post-war governance in Gaza, according to two US officials and two Arab officials, Axios reported on Tuesday.

The quest for Palestinian independence gained a major boost on Sunday as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia formally recognized a State of Palestine ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, CNN reported. 

Global Times