Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will recognise a Palestinian statehood in a major intervention.
The French president has said he will formalise the decision at the United Nations General Assembly in September amid growing global pressure.
Despite offering support for Israel after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, he has become increasingly outraged by Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions.
“The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,” he said in a statement.
“Given its historic commitment to a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine. Peace is possible.”
It comes after Keir Starmer said Palestinians have an inalienable right to statehood.
The PM made a major announcement on the Middle East on Thursday night as cabinet ministers urged further action amid a humanitarian crisis.
The UK government has previously expressed its intention to recognise Palestine as part of a larger peace initiative but insists this will happen alongside other Western nations, such as the United States.
In a statement, Sir Keir said: “It is hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times. But I must reiterate my call for all sides to engage in good faith, and at pace, to bring about an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to unconditionally release all hostages. We strongly support the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure this.
We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.”
He added: “The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.”