France Will Recognize Palestine as a State, Macron Says

France will recognize Palestine as a state, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday.  

“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron wrote on social media.  

“The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population,” the French president said, before calling for “an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.”  

The “demilitarization of Hamas” is necessary, according to Macron.  

“Finally, it is essential to build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East,” he said.

Macron says he will formally make the announcement recognizing the state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September.  

News of Macron’s decision to recognize Palestine as a state came shortly after it was confirmed that peace talks between Israel and Hamas had once again broken down.  

The U.S. team working to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas is now coming home.  

“We have decided to bring our team home from [Doha, Qatar] for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza,” Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, announced Thursday in a post on the social media platform X.  

The U.S., along with mediators from Qatar and Egypt, have been working to broker a deal between Hamas and Israel, who have been at war since the militant Islamist group’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on the Jewish state.  

Israeli negotiators are also returning home in “light of the response conveyed by Hamas this morning,” the Israeli prime minister’s office announced Thursday.  

The deal, which is now further in question, includes a 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 living U.S. hostages, and the remains of 18 deceased hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.  

Hamas is reported to have responded to the proposal with conditions Israel was not willing to accept, including the release of terrorists involved in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, according to Aviva Klompas, the CEO of Boundless, a pro-Israel education group. 

Witkoff said mediators “made a great effort,” but added that “Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith.”  

“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said. “It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza.”

There are 50 hostages still being held in Gaza, 20 of whom are thought to still be alive.  

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