Overview

• France formally recognized a Palestinian state at a France–Saudi UN summit, joining recent announcements by the UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal and several European states.
• The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin to let Mahmoud Abbas speak by video after the U.S. revoked visas for him and dozens of Palestinian Authority officials.
• Abbas, addressing delegates remotely, called for a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian access and the release of hostages, and said Hamas must disarm and have no role in governance.
• Recognizing governments emphasized limits and conditions, with some tying future steps such as embassies to Palestinian Authority reforms including ending stipends tied to attacks and updating curricula.
• More than 150 countries now recognize Palestine, Japan held back while signaling eventual openness, and the U.S. and Israel opposed and boycotted the summit as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a Palestinian state.