France, the United Kingdom, and Canada have announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September, marking a sharp diplomatic break with Israel and the United States amid escalating criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza. The declarations come as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 60,000, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, and humanitarian agencies warn of imminent famine.
French President Emmanuel Macron declared, "Consistent with 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's announcement included calls for "massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza," the "demilitarization of Hamas," and mutual recognition between a future Palestinian state and Israel.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would recognize Palestinian statehood in September unless Israel establishes a ceasefire, halts settlement expansion in the West Bank, and commits to a two-state solution. Starmer emphasized the need for "the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the removal of Hamas leadership from Gaza as key steps towards a negotiated two-state solution."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced similar intentions, tying recognition to reform commitments by the Palestinian Authority. "Preserving a two-state solution means standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism," Carney said Wednesday. Canada requires the Palestinian Authority to hold general elections in 2026 without Hamas participation, alongside disarmament and governance reforms.
The announcements drew sharp rebukes from Israeli officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the decisions as a reward for Hamas's monstrous terrorism & [a punishment for] its victims, while the Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Canada of harming ceasefire efforts. In response to France's stance, Netanyahu claimed it "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy."
President Donald Trump criticized the Canadian decision, writing on Truth Social: "Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh' Canada!!!"
More than 140 countries already recognize Palestinian statehood. But the addition of France and the U.K.-both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council-would leave the United States as the lone holdout among the five permanent members. "When you have states with the significance and importance of France and Britain taking this measure, it does leave the sense of a dam breaking," said Mouin Rabbani, senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.
Diplomatic implications could include the elevation of Palestinian representative offices to full embassies in Ottawa, London, and Paris. "It would be raising the status of [Canada's] representative office in Ramallah to a full embassy," said Michael Lynk, former U.N. expert on Palestinian human rights. He also noted that recognition obligates countries to protest violations of Palestinian sovereignty.
However, experts caution that practical effects may be limited. "There's a crisis. There's a sense that something needs to be done to stop this," said Yaël Ronen of Hebrew University. "So you do whatever is possible. And if there's nothing else, this is what you do."
Public sentiment appears to be driving the shift. In the U.K., 45% of voters now support Palestinian statehood recognition, according to a recent YouGov poll. "Given the appalling situation in Gaza and the lack of prospects, it was becoming dishonorable to do nothing," said former French Foreign Minister Hubert Védrine.
Israel's war in Gaza began after Hamas launched a deadly assault on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, 50 of whom remain in captivity. Since then, Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed tens of thousands in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Despite growing global support for statehood, Netanyahu's government remains firm. A spokesperson for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemned the recognition efforts, saying, "Recognizing a Palestinian state while 50 hostages remain trapped in Hamas tunnels amounts to rewarding terrorism."
