France Formally Backs Palestinian State, Macron Urges Hostage Release & end to Gaza Conflict
United Nations, September 21, 2025 - In a landmark address to the United Nations General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron today announced France’s recognition of the state of Palestine, together demanding the immediate release of the 48 hostages held by Hamas and a cessation of hostilities in Gaza. The move signals a significant shift in France’s longstanding position and comes amidst escalating international pressure for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Macron framed the recognition as a fulfillment of the 1947 UN resolution partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states,acknowledging Israel’s establishment while lamenting the unrealized promise of an Arab state. “the time has come to release the 48 hostages held by Hamas. The time has come to stop the war, the bombings in Gaza, the massacres and the populations on the run,” Macron stated. He acknowledged criticisms that the timing might potentially be perceived as too late or too early, but insisted, “we cannot wait.”
The French President underscored a collective responsibility for the failure to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East, noting the intertwined histories of Israelis and Palestinians. He highlighted the establishment of Israel as fulfilling the destiny of the Jewish people after millennia of persecution, but emphasized the continued unfulfillment of the promise for a Palestinian state.
