France, Belgium, Monaco, Malta, and Luxembourg formally recognized Palestine at a UN meeting in New York, with Macron calling it a step toward peace and the UN chief stressing that statehood is a right, not a concession.

Five European countries, France, Belgium, Monaco, Malta, and Luxembourg, formally recognized Palestine as an independent state during a United Nations meeting in New York late Monday night.

The meeting, chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, sought ways to revive peace in the region amid the ongoing war in Gaza. French President Emmanuel Macron announced France’s decision, declaring, “Today, France recognizes Palestine, and we must pave the way for peace.” He described the move as a defeat for Hamas, prompting loud applause and a standing ovation from the Palestinian delegation. UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the development, emphasizing that Palestinian statehood is not a reward but a right. “Without it, peace is impossible,” he said.

Belgium attaches conditions

Belgium’s recognition came with conditions: it will only be legally binding once Hamas is removed from power in Gaza and all Israeli hostages are released.The announcements followed similar moves by the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal on Sunday, bringing the total number of countries recognizing Palestine to nearly 150, roughly 75% of UN member states.

Palestinian leadership responds

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who addressed the summit via video after being denied a U.S. visa, urged Hamas to lay down arms and confirmed that the group would have no role in Gaza’s future governance. Abbas pledged to hold presidential and parliamentary elections after the Gaza war ends and promised an interim constitution within three months to transfer authority from the Palestinian Authority to the State of Palestine. He thanked the countries for their recognition and appealed to others to follow suit, stressing the urgency of achieving full UN membership for Palestine.

Recognition within the UN system

With France’s decision, Palestine now has recognition from four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China, Russia, the UK, and France. The United States remains the only holdout, recognizing the Palestinian Authority but not Palestinian statehood.

Currently, Palestine holds the status of a Permanent Observer State at the UN, which allows participation in UN programs but not voting rights.