WEB DESK : World leaders convened at the United Nations on Monday in a dramatic show of support for Palestinian statehood, signaling a major diplomatic shift nearly two years into the Gaza conflict.
Despite fierce opposition from Israel and its closest ally, the United States, six more countries including France and Belgium officially recognized the State of Palestine.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the move during a high-profile session at the UN in New York, co-hosted with Saudi Arabia. He called for renewed momentum toward a two-state solution, declaring it “the only path to lasting peace” in the region.
“We must not let the idea of coexistence between Israel and Palestine vanish,” Macron said, receiving extended applause from the assembled leaders. He outlined conditions for a formal embassy — including governance reforms, a lasting ceasefire, and the release of hostages still held by Hamas.
Alongside France and Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, and Canada joined the list of countries affirming Palestinian statehood. This wave of recognitions now brings the total to over 150 out of 193 UN member states.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose government recognized Palestine in 2024, welcomed the growing international consensus. “We are witnessing a decisive moment,” he told Reuters. “With major Western nations like France and the UK onboard, momentum is shifting.”
Notably absent from the summit were Israeli and U.S. delegations. Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, criticized the recognitions as premature and unilateral. “These decisions were supposed to be the outcome of direct negotiations between both parties,” he told reporters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently in the U.S., is expected to discuss the developments with President Donald Trump in Washington on September 29.
Netanyahu’s government widely described as the most hardline in Israel’s history has ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state and vowed to continue military operations in Gaza until Hamas is dismantled.
The humanitarian toll of the conflict continues to mount. According to Gaza health officials, more than 65,000 Palestinians have died since the war began on October 7, 2023. In recent weeks, Israeli forces have launched a renewed offensive in Gaza City, defying global calls for a ceasefire.
Simultaneously, tensions have escalated in the occupied West Bank, where violence by Israeli settlers has surged. These developments have intensified pressure on Western governments to act before hopes for a two-state solution are extinguished altogether.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN gathering via video, citing U.S. visa restrictions that prevented his attendance in person. He urged the global community to support Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations and pledged internal reforms and democratic elections within a year of a ceasefire.
While Palestine currently holds observer status at the UN, full membership would require approval from the Security Council — a path effectively blocked by the United States, which holds veto power.
Despite growing support in Europe, key players like Germany and Italy remain cautious. Germany, long a staunch ally of Israel due to historical responsibilities, has become increasingly critical of Israeli actions but maintains that recognition should follow a comprehensive peace deal. Berlin also warned against further annexations in the West Bank.
Italy echoed similar sentiments, calling recognition at this stage “potentially counterproductive.”
In response to the wave of recognitions, Israeli officials are reportedly weighing diplomatic countermeasures, particularly targeting France. Some voices within Israel’s leadership have even floated the idea of annexing parts of the West Bank — a move that could severely strain ties with regional partners, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The UAE, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, has warned that unilateral annexation would undermine the very foundation of the agreement.
As global divisions deepen, the United States has cautioned allies against taking steps that it believes could isolate Israel or destabilize the region further. Washington has reiterated its long-held position that Palestinian statehood should emerge from direct negotiations, not external declarations.
Nevertheless, a growing number of nations believe that time is running out. With continued bloodshed in Gaza and a stalled peace process dormant since 2014 the symbolic recognitions may signal a last-ditch effort to preserve a vanishing two-state vision.
