By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Monaco, Malta and Luxembourg declared their support during a summit on a two-state solution in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at a summit, French President Emmanuel Macron told the UN General Assembly that France would recognize Palestine statehood at a meeting he convened with Saudi Arabia – a milestone that could boost Palestinian morale.
“We have gathered here because the time has come,” Macron said at the summit convened to revive the long-delayed two-state solution to end the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“It falls on us, this responsibility, to do everything in our power to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution,” Macron said.
“Today, I declare that France recognises the state of Palestine,” he said.
The additional countries recognising Palestine now join some 147 of the 193 UN member states that had already formally recognised Palestinian statehood as of April this year.
With more than 80 percent of the international community now recognising the state of Palestine, diplomatic pressure has ramped up on Israel as it continues its genocidal war on Gaza, where more than 65,300 Palestinians have been killed and the has been enclave turned into rubble.
Spain, Norway and Ireland recognised Palestinian statehood last year, with Madrid also imposing sanctions on Israel for its war on Gaza.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the summit on Monday that a two-state solution was not possible “when the population of one of those two states is the victim of a genocide”.
“The Palestinian people are being annihilated, [so] in the name of reason, in the name of international law and in the name of human dignity, we have to stop this slaughter,” Sanchez said.
Macron also outlined a framework for the creation of a “renewed Palestinian Authority”. The post-war framework envisages an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) that would assist in preparing the Palestinian Authority (PA) to take over governance in Gaza.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his support for the two-state solution, framing it as the only viable path towards peace after years of failed negotiations and ongoing violence.
Guterres said that statehood for Palestinians “is a right, not a reward”, rejecting US and Israeli claims that it was a reward for Hamas.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, thanked Macron and the UN chief for their efforts towards a two-state solution, which he said is “the only way to achieve just and lasting peace”.
He said the conference comes at a time when “the Israeli occupation authorities continue their aggression and their brutal crimes “against Palestinians in Gaza.
International pressure is ramping up on Israel over the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza and settlement building in the West Bank.
Israel has said recognition would reward Hamas for the Palestinian armed group’s 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.
More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Israeli forces are currently carrying out a ground offensive aimed at taking control of Gaza City, where a million people were living and a famine was confirmed last month.
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