France has joined a growing list of Western countries formally recognising the State of Palestine, in a move President Emmanuel Macron described as “the only path to peace.”

The decision follows similar announcements by Britain, Canada, Portugal and Australia, bringing the total number of UN member states recognising Palestine to nearly 150.

“I declare that from today France recognises the State of Palestine,” Macron told the two-state solution summit in New York, co-hosted with Saudi Arabia. He said recognition must be accompanied by an “emergency phase” including a ceasefire, the release of hostages, humanitarian access and the reconstruction of Gaza.

“The recognition of Palestine is a defeat for Hamas,” he added, stressing that the future state should be demilitarised and that “law must prevail over force.”

Macron also urged an end to the conflict in Gaza, declaring that “the time for peace has come” and insisting that “nothing justifies the ongoing war.”

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on September 23, alongside regional leaders such as Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Washington, however, pointedly declined to attend Monday’s summit, which focused on advancing a two-state framework. Fellow G7 members Germany and Italy were also absent.

The French leader also linked bilateral relations with Israel to its commitment to peace. “This recognition is the only solution that will allow Israel to live in peace,” he said, confirming that France is prepared to support an international mission to stabilise Gaza and help train Palestinian security forces. Macron added that opening a French embassy in Palestine would depend on the release of hostages and a formal ceasefire.

France’s move was echoed by several smaller European states. Monaco’s Prince Albert II, Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden, and Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela all announced formal recognition. Abela stressed that Gaza was suffering “from starvation” and called for an end to the war and settler violence in the West Bank.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called recognition “the path to a better future” but said Hamas could play “no role” in Palestine’s future. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez went further, urging that Palestine be granted full UN membership: “This is only the beginning. Palestine must be a full member of the United Nations.”

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also backed recognition, warning that Israel’s behaviour was putting the two-state solution at risk. “Hamas can have no role in Palestine’s future,” he said, calling for Palestinian elections.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised France and Saudi Arabia for spearheading the New York conference, but criticised the exclusion of the Palestinian delegation. “No peace in the Middle East is possible without a two-state solution,” he declared, condemning Israel’s “collective punishment” of Palestinians and calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking by video link, said Ramallah was ready to work with the US, Saudi Arabia and France to implement the so-called New York Declaration.

He noted that Hamas would have no place in future governance and urged Israel to return to negotiations: “We are ready to end the bloodshed. Hamas must hand over weapons to the Palestinian Authority.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said the war in Gaza must end immediately and “the conflict must end,” while Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stressed that the two-state solution was “not just a moral commitment but the only path to regional stability.” He firmly rejected “any attempt to forcibly displace the Palestinian people.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Israel’s policies were undermining the two-state solution, describing it as “the only realistic plan” for peace. She announced plans for a donor group to ensure Palestine’s economic viability. European Council President António Costa called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages.

The New York Declaration—a Saudi-French initiative adopted by the UN General Assembly earlier this month with overwhelming support—lays out concrete, time-bound steps towards establishing two states along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as a shared capital.