Hamas welcomes France’s decision to recognize Palestinian state

By Mohammad Sio

ISTANBUL (AA) - Hamas welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge Thursday to recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September.

The Palestinian group described the declaration as “a positive step in the right direction” toward justice for the Palestinian people and support for their right to self-determination and an independent state on all occupied Palestinian land, with Jerusalem as its capital.

It called the French stance “a political development that reflects growing international conviction in the justice of the Palestinian cause and the failure of the Israeli occupation to distort facts or suppress the will of free nations.”

Hamas added that such international steps “represent political and moral pressure” on Israel.

Macron said in a post on X that he will officially announce France’s recognition of the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.

“In line with our historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” he said.

Currently, 149 out of 193 UN member states officially recognize the State of Palestine.