- President Emmanuel Macron uses a UN meeting to say that France will join the UK, Canada and Australia in formally recognising a Palestinian state
- “We can no longer wait,” he says, adding that recognition is a necessary step to break the spiral of violence and secure peace
- The French leader also calls for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and an end to the war in Gaza
- Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says recognition gives “a huge reward to terrorism”, and that a Palestinian state “will not happen”
- The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas’ attack on southern Israel in October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage
While the UN meeting on the two-state solution continues, let’s have a quick recap of the key lines we heard from some of the biggest names in attendance in New York.
- Announcing France’s recognition of a Palestinian state, Macron told the UN that “nothing justifies the ongoing war” in GazaBut he stressed that giving Palestinians rights does not take away from the rights of the IsraelisUN chief Antonio Guterres also warned Israel not to respond with an annexation of the West Bank, suggesting that “the relentless expansion of settlements” in the region must stopStatehood for Palestinians “is a right and not a reward“, he addedJoining the conference remotely, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for Hamas to surrender its weapons as he looked ahead to a future for Gaza that, he said, would not include Hamas
