Fourteen Western nations have joined France's call on countries worldwide to recognize an independent Palestinian state, Paris' top diplomat said Wednesday.
The foreign ministers of the 15 countries late Tuesday issued a joint statement following a conference in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, aimed at reviving a two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians.
"In New York, together with 14 other countries, France is issuing a collective appeal: we express our desire to recognise the State of Palestine and invite those who have not yet done so to join us," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on X.
"We, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, and Spain, reiterate our unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution," the French Foreign Ministry had said late Tuesday.
According to the statement, the signatories underlined that two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, must coexist peacefully within secure and internationally recognized borders, in line with international law and relevant U.N. resolutions.
They also stressed the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.
The signatories "express grave concern over the high number of civilian casualties and humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasize the essential role of the United Nations and its agencies in facilitating humanitarian assistance."
The ministers welcomed commitments made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on June 10, noting that he "(i) condemns the October 7th ... attacks, (ii) calls for the liberation of hostages and disarmament of Hamas, (iii) commits to terminate the prisoner payment system, (iv) commits to schooling reform, (v) commits to call for elections within a year to trigger generational renewal, and (vi) accepts the principle of a demilitarized Palestinian State."
"We... have already recognized, have expressed or express the willingness or the positive consideration of our countries to recognize the State of Palestine, as an essential step towards the two-state solution," the statement read.
"We invite all countries that have not done so to join this call," the statement said.
They also encouraged states to strengthen ties with Israel, urging them "to establish normal relations with Israel, and to express their willingness to enter into discussions on the regional integration of the State of Israel."
"We express our determination to work on an architecture for the 'day after' in Gaza which guarantees the reconstruction of Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from the Palestinian governance."
Earlier last week, President Emmanuel Macron announced he would formally recognize Palestinian statehood in September, provoking strong opposition from Israel and the United States.
France is hoping to build momentum around the formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the U.K. will also formally recognize the State of Palestine in September unless Israel takes various "substantive steps," including agreeing to a cease-fire in Gaza.
Starmer's move, paired with Paris, would make the two European allies the first Group of Seven (G-7) nations to do so.
The Israeli army, rejecting international calls for a cease-fire, has pursued a genocidal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.
