Understanding France’s recognition of the State of Palestine New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution Israel / Palestine Published on : September 22nd 2026 On 12 September 2025, 142 States voted in favour of the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution at the UN General Assembly. This Declaration followed the high-level International Conference in New York that was jointly chaired by France and Saudi Arabia from 28 to 30 July 2025. This roadmap is a comprehensive and practical framework to breathe new life into the two-state solution, end the war in Gaza and reach a just and lasting settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The New York declaration calls for: - Creation of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State, living side by side with Israel in peace and security, with one government and one law for all Palestinian territories; - Condemnation of Hamas for the 7 October 2023 attacks, as well as its disarmament and exclusion from any future governance of Gaza; - Return of hostages still held by Hamas (finalized in January 2026) and implementation of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, with unhindered humanitarian access; - Normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries and the establishment of collective security guarantees including Israel. The signatories welcome the Palestinian Authority’s “One State, One Government, One Law and One Gun” strategy and committed to supporting its implementation. Hamas must cease holding authority over Gaza and must hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority. The signatories supported the deployment, at the invitation of the Palestinian Authority and under a Security Council mandate, of a temporary international stabilization mission responsible for protecting civilian populations and supporting the transfer of security responsibilities. They also committed to supporting the reconstruction of Gaza, including through a dedicated international Trust Fund and continued financing of UNRWA. The Declaration also notes the commitments of President Mahmoud Abbas, made in his letter of 9 June 2025, including the holding of general elections under international supervision within one year. It underlines that “recognition and realization of the State of Palestine are an essential and indispensable component” of this solution, while “recalling that recognition is a sovereign decision of each individual State”. France’s recognition of the State of Palestine On 22 September 2025, during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman co-chaired a Conference on the two-state solution at the United Nations Headquarters. At the podium, Emmanuel Macron said: “true to my country’s historic commitment in the Middle East, for peace between the Israeli people and the Palestinian people, I declare that France today recognizes the State of Palestine.” France’s recognition was followed by those of Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Portugal, San Marino and the United Kingdom. Since then, France and its partners in the international community have continued their diplomatic efforts to preserve the two-state solution on the ground. Israël / Territoires palestiniens - Adoption par l’ONU de la déclaration de New York sur la solution à deux états et condamnation du Hamas Déclaration de New York - texte original (29 juillet 2025) Israel and Palestine: France’s position in eight points France considers that the conflict can only be resolved through the solution of two States living side by side in peace and security, in accordance with international law.