French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday (local time) formally announced France's recognition of the State of Palestine, becoming the latest Western nation to do so ahead of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The decision comes a day after Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia also announced their formal recognition of Palestine, a move widely seen as an effort to increase international pressure on Israel amid its continued military campaign in Gaza.

"The time has come. This is why, true to the historic, historic commitment of my country to the Middle East to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. This is why I declare that today, France recognises the state of Palestine," President Macron said during a summit on the two-state solution held in New York. President Macron, addressing the United Nations, stated that recognising a Palestinian state is the "only solution that will allow for Israel to live in peace," describing the decision as a "defeat for Hamas," CNN reported.