New Delhi: France recognised the state of Palestine at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, signaling a widening in the cracks within the Western alliance on Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The conflict in Gaza has led to deep fault lines across Western societies, with a growing support for Palestine.
Following France’s decision, this Sunday, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia also recognised Palestine, adding further pressure on Tel Aviv in the search for a two-state solution. Portugal also recognised the Middle Eastern state later Sunday evening.
Paris was the first major ally of the United States to recognise the Palestinian State in July and said that it would formally do so at the UNGA.
The announcements by the three G7 members—France, the UK and Canada further deepen Israel’s diplomatic isolation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to New York for the UNGA and has vowed retaliation against countries recognising Palestine.
The Israeli leader is set to meet with US President Donald Trump, who has been against recognising the Palestinian state, later this week. Netanyahu has promised to make his views on the future of Palestine clear after discussions with the US leader.
In a video message Sunday, Netanyahu asserted that leaders recognising the Palestinian state is “giving a huge reward to terrorism” and that such a nation will not “exist West of the Jordan River”. The Israeli PM has received strong backing from the Trump administration.
“We have doubled Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and we will continue on this path,” declared Netanyahu, hinting at the direction of his potential decisions regarding the future of the West Bank. The Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law; Israel, however, disputes this claim.
Israel has been engaged in a conflict with Hamas, a militant Palestinian nationalist group, in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. The conflict, which has lasted for almost two years, has seen the death of roughly 65,000 Palestinians according to health authorities in the enclave. Large swathes of the Gaza Strip have been damaged over the course of the conflict.
Hamas killed roughly 1,150 Israelis and took a further 250 hostage on 7 October 2023. The attack has been widely condemned across the world, including by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Israel, in recent days, has pressed on with its invasion of Gaza City, which is said to be one of the last strongholds of Hamas. The Israeli military is carrying out strikes against a variety of groups in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
In June, Israel struck nuclear facilities in Iran and a few weeks ago attacked Qatar, aiming at a meeting of peace talks with Hamas’ negotiators in Doha.
The recognition of Palestine by France comes after 51 of its nationals were killed by Hamas on 7 October 2023, while a further eight were taken hostage. Following the attack, France banned pro-Palestine protests across the country, citing public order concerns. However, cities across France hoisted the Palestinian flag at their town halls, despite warnings from the government to do so, according to reports.
India has recognised the Palestinian state since 1988 and maintains diplomatic ties with it. However, the countries recognising Palestine currently have all included caveats for the phased opening of diplomatic ties. Belgium and Luxembourg are also expected to recognise the Palestinian state at the UNGA.
In July, France and Saudi Arabia co-chaired a conference in New York for a comprehensive plan for a two-state solution, which was adopted by the UNGA on 12 September 2025. The resolution was accepted by 142 countries, including India. Four out of five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, excluding the US and six of the seven G7 member-states, all voted in favour of the resolution, which also condemned Hamas.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)
Also Read: ‘Israel created Hamas’ but we will not label it a terrorist group, says Palestine’s envoy to India