Overview

• President Emmanuel Macron announced France’s recognition from a UN conference on a two‑state solution, as Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra and San Marino joined, following weekend moves by the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal.
• Roughly 156–157 of the UN’s 193 member states now recognize a Palestinian state, marking a concentrated wave of announcements during high‑level meetings in New York.
• UN Secretary‑General António Guterres warned the two‑state option is eroding dangerously, urged a halt to settlement expansion and called for International Court of Justice action on Israeli settlement activities.
• Israel and the United States condemned the recognitions, with Israel calling them a reward for Hamas and President Donald Trump denouncing them in his UN address; some governments attached conditions tied to hostage releases and Hamas’s role.
• Palestinians rallied in West Bank cities to celebrate but demanded concrete steps to stop the war and ease the crisis, as analysts noted recognition does not confer UN membership and Gaza authorities report more than 65,000 deaths and vast destruction.