Unilateral recognition

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will recognise Palestine as a state. He published this announcement on Platform X in three languages: French, English and Arabic. Formal recognition is to take place in September during the next United Nations General Assembly in New York. Nevertheless, this step is already being seen as de facto recognition of Palestine. France will officially recognise Palestine as an independent state – i.e. as an autonomous entity under international law with a claim to sovereignty, probably based on the 1967 borders (West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem). Macron also published a letter to Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority. In this letter, Macron emphasises that Abbas had already made certain commitments to him at the beginning of June that made recognition possible – such as disarming Hamas and announcing elections next year.