France will officially recognise the State of Palestine in September, becoming the first country among the G7 nations to do so, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.

In a post on social media platform X, Macron said the formal recognition would be declared during the United Nations General Assembly session in New York later this year.

“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.

He added that France remains committed to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. “We must also guarantee the demilitarisation of Hamas and secure and rebuild Gaza,” he said. “Finally, we must build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarisation and fully recognising Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East. There is no alternative.”

Macron’s announcement included a formal letter addressed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, confirming France’s decision.

Palestinian officials welcomed the move. Hussein al-Sheikh, deputy to President Abbas, said Macron’s stance “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.”

The Hamas movement described the decision as a “positive step in the right direction” and urged other countries to follow France’s lead.

In sharp contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision, calling it “a reward for terror” following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel—not to live in peace beside it,” Netanyahu said.

The United States also rejected the announcement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described France’s move as “reckless,” reaffirming Washington’s longstanding opposition to unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood outside of direct negotiations with Israel.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry praised France’s move, saying it reaffirmed “the international community’s consensus on the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state.”

France’s recognition comes amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, triggered by Israel’s military response to Hamas’s October 2023 attack, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

According to the Gaza health ministry, at least 59,106 people have died since the start of Israel’s military campaign. Large parts of the territory have been reduced to rubble, and the United Nations has warned that one in five children in Gaza City is now malnourished, with the number rising daily.

Over 100 international humanitarian and human rights organisations have issued alerts about the threat of mass starvation in Gaza, urging governments to take immediate action.

Israel has denied allegations of a siege and continues to blame Hamas for the worsening humanitarian conditions, maintaining that aid delays are the result of the group’s control over the territory.