President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will recognise Palestine as an independent state, a step he described as an expression of France's "historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East".

In an unexpected statement on the social network X, made after months of hesitation and hints about the possible recognition of Palestinian statehood, Macron said the official announcement would be made in September during the UN General Assembly in New York.

"The most urgent thing today is for the war in Gaza to end and for civilians to receive aid," Macron stressed. | BGNES

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