Overview

• At a New York conference co-chaired with Saudi Arabia, President Emmanuel Macron announced France now recognizes a Palestinian state and linked the step to halting the Gaza war and freeing hostages.
• Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal recognized Palestine a day earlier, with London’s foreign secretary warning Israel not to use the move as a pretext to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.
• The White House said President Donald Trump views the recognitions as “just words” that reward Hamas and do not advance immediate goals such as securing hostage releases and ensuring Israel’s security.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decisions as a “reward for terrorism” and reiterated he will not allow a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River, as a far-right minister pushed to extend Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank.
• France signaled additional European recognitions were imminent, raising the global tally to roughly 145 UN member states, while regional strains sharpened as Egypt defended its Sinai deployments, Qatar protested an Israeli strike on Doha, and Saudi Arabia vowed to press for a cease-fire and a state on 1967 lines.