'Reckless decision': Rubio fumes as Macron moves to recognise Palestine State

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the country will officially recognise a Palestinian state in September, angering many Israeli leaders.

The president said that a formal announcement on the same would be made at a United Nations General Assembly session. “The urgent need today is for the war in Gaza to end and for the civilian population to be rescued. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” Macron wrote.

While Palestinian leaders and Hamas welcomed the move, it drew strong condemnation from Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it a “reward for terror”.

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Macron said that following the recognition of the Palestinian state, focus should be on the militarisation of Hamas. The president attached a letter addressed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming his decision.

“The French people want peace in the Middle East. It is our responsibility — as French citizens, alongside Israelis, Palestinians, and our European and international partners — to prove that peace is possible,” Macron said.

Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine.

I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September.… pic.twitter.com/VTSVGVH41I

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) July 24, 2025

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Macron’s announcement means that France will become the first G7 member to recognise a Palestinian state, as a permanent ceasefire seems a distant future.

The Palestinians seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank, annexed east Jerusalem and Gaza, territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel’s government and most of its political class have long been opposed to Palestinian statehood and now say that it would reward militants after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack.

US reacts

US State Secretary Marco Rubio criticised France’s move by saying, “The United States strongly rejects Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly. This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th."

Palestine, Hamas back move

Reacting to Macron’s announcement, PA President Abbas’s deputy Hussein al-Sheikh said, “This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state.”

Meanwhile, Hamas has called the move a “positive step”, urging all countries to recognise Palestine as a state as well.

“We consider this a positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to self-determination,” the terror group said in a statement.

Israel condemns Macron’s announcement

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision “rewards terror” and posed an existential threat, providing a “launch pad to annihilate” Israel.

“Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel,” he added.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was equally scathing, claiming that “a Palestinian state will be a Hamas state”, referring to the Palestinian militants that attacked Israel in 2023, triggering the war in Gaza.

Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin, who is also Justice Minister, called the decision “direct aid to terrorism” and “a black mark on the history of France”.

With inputs from agencies