France announces intention to recognise Palestinian state

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Parisians on Friday (July 25) expressed support for President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of France’s impending recognition of a Palestinian state, though some said they are wary of how it could impact French foreign relations.

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PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 25, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. STATUE ON PLACE DE LA REPUBLIQUE SQUARE

2. PEOPLE WALKING IN SQUARE

3. PEOPLE CROSSING STREET

4. (SOUNDBITE) (French) 59-YEAR-OLD PARISIAN, DINA, NO LAST NAME GIVEN, SAYING:

“I think that basically it’s a good thing to say that we are for a recognition of the Palestinian state. By the way, this question has been on the table for such a long time, for decades. But unfortunately, when it comes to Mr. Macron, who makes a lot of media hype, I don’t think this will be followed by actions, or at least not immediately.”

5. (SOUNDBITE) (French) 62-YEAR-OLD PHOTOGRAPHER, JEAN-MARIE CRAS, SAYING:

“It’s true that this has been going around for a while. Speaking of Emmanuel Macron, it’s true that he had not made any clear decisions. Now, he has done so, forced by a lot of voices of people in this country. And yes, I hope for it, since from the human point of view, this (situation in Gaza) is quite the carnage.”

6. PLACE DE LAREPUBLIQUE STATUE

7. (SOUNDBITE) (French) 62-YEAR-OLD PHOTOGRAPHER, JEAN-MARIE CRAS, SAYING:

“What I fear is that if the (question of) independence or the recognition of the Palestinian state is active, the bombardments will resume with regard to Hamas-Israel.”

Palestinians in the streets of Hebron welcomed France's announcement recognising a Palestinian state.

Residents on Friday (July 25) said that France must be 'brave and rally and mobilise on this matter and not be alone in this picture.'

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HEBRON, WEST BANK (JULY 25, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

8. VARIOUS OF COFFEE SELLER STALL IN STREET

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RESIDENT OF HEBRON, SUHEIL NASSERALDIN, SAYING:

"The decision that France talked about yesterday, with regards to us, we wish to have a Palestinian state and the decision that France has taken is a bold decision - however will other countries, that control the world, accept this brave decision? We want every person to call on every nation, every country - If France has given us the decision, it's a brave decision, it must rally and mobilise on this matter and not be alone in this picture."

10. PEOPLE WALKING, CARS IN STREET

Gaza is on the brink of running out of the specialised therapeutic food needed to save the lives of severely malnourished children, United Nations and humanitarian agencies say.

"We are now facing a dire situation, that we are running out of therapeutic supplies," said Salim Oweis, a spokesperson for UNICEF in Amman, Jordan told Reuters on Thursday (July 24) , saying supplies of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a crucial treatment, would be depleted by mid-August if nothing changed.

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GAZA CITY, GAZA (RECENT - JULY 14, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

11. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS WAITING AT A SOUP KITCHEN, WITH EMPTY POTS, SOME BEING SERVED FOOD

AMMAN, JORDAN (JULY 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESPERSON FOR UNICEF IN AMMAN, SALIM OWEIS, SAYING:

"Aid and humanitarian supplies inside the Gaza Strip are running out. UNICEF has already ran out of preventive nutritional supplies, and now we are facing a dire situation that we are running out of therapeutic supplies. We only have 3,000 cartons. That's equivalent of treating only 3,000 children, and that's really dangerous for children as they face hunger and malnutrition at the moment."

KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (JULY 24, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

13. VARIOUS OF A PALESTINIAN MOTHER HOLDING A 5-MONTH-OLD MALNOURISHED CHILD AT THE WARD WHERE MALNOURISHED CHILDREN ARE BEING TREATED IN NASSER HOSPITAL

14. VARIOUS OF 11-MONTH-OLD MALNOURISHED BABY GIRL, SEELA BARBAKH, ON HOSPITAL BED

KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (JULY 23, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

15. VARIOUS OF HEAD OF THE PAEDIATRICS AND MATERNITY DEPARTMENT AT NASSER HOSPITAL, AHMAD AL-FARRA, EXAMINING 11-MONTH-OLD MALNOURISHED BABY GIRL SEELA BARBAKH

AMMAN, JORDAN (JULY 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESPERSON FOR UNICEF IN AMMAN, SALIM OWEIS, SAYING:

"In July alone, the first two weeks of July, we reached 5,000 children facing malnutrition, acute malnutrition in Gaza, which is a huge increase since the ceasefire in February. These numbers are just drawing a very dark picture that really puts the light on the dire situation of food insecurity in the Gaza Strip."

KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA (JULY 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

17. VARIOUS OF CHILDREN AT THE WARD WHERE MALNOURISHED CHILDREN ARE BEING TREATED IN NASSER HOSPITAL / CANNULA ATTACHED TO CHILD’S HAND / MORE OF CHILDREN

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday (July 24) that Washington rejected French President Emmanuel Macron's plan to recognise a Palestinian state, with the top American diplomat calling it a "reckless decision."

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INTERNET (JULY 24, 2025) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - Access all) (MUTE)

18. VARIOUS SCREEN GRABS OF POST ON X BY US SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO, READING (English): "The United States strongly rejects @EmmanuelMacron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the @UN general assembly. This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th."

Canada on Thursday (July 24) condemned the Israeli government for failing to prevent what Prime Minister Mark Carney called a "humanitarian disaster" in Gaza. Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid delivery to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

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INTERNET (JULY 24, 2025) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - Access all) (MUTE)

19. VARIOUS OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER MARK CARNEY, READING (English):

"Canada condemns the Israeli government’s failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Israel’s control of aid distribution must be replaced by comprehensive provision of humanitarian assistance led by international organizations. Many of these are holding significant Canadian-funded aid which has been blocked from delivery to starving civilians. This denial of humanitarian aid is a violation of international law.

Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith. We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza.

Canada supports a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians. Canada will work intensively in all fora to further that end, including through the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the UN High-Level Conference on a Two-State Solution in New York next week."

France will recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, French President Emmanuel macron said on Thursday (July 24), adding that he hoped it would help bring peace to the region.

Macron, who announced the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France's intention to become the first major Western power to recognise a Palestinian state.

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INTERNET (JULY 24, 2025)(SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE – Access all)(MUTE)

20. VARIOUS SCREENSHOTS OF STATEMENT BY FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON, READING (English):

"Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine.

I will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September. The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population.

Peace is possible.

We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. We must also ensure the demilitarization of Hamas, secure and rebuild Gaza. And finally, we must build the State of Palestine, guarantee its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, it contributes to the security of all in the region.

There is no alternative.

The French people want peace in the Middle East. It is our responsibility — as French citizens, alongside Israelis, Palestinians, and our European and international partners — to prove that peace is possible.

In light of the commitments made to me by the President of the Palestinian Authority, I have written to him to express my determination to move forward.

Trust, clarity, and resolve.

We will achieve peace."

Britain supports eventual recognition of a Palestinian state, but the immediate priority should be alleviating the suffering in Gaza and securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a British cabinet minister said on Friday (July 25).

Successive British governments have said they would formally recognize a Palestinian state at the right time, without ever setting a timetable or specifying the conditions for it to happen.

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LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 25, 2025) (BBC NEWS - No use UK)

21. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MINISTER, PETER KYLE, SAYING:

"So it is a manifesto commitment of this government that we want to establish statehood for Palestine. It needs to happen in a way that will be empowering and deliver the long-term peace and stability that Palestine needs. Sovereignty exists for a reason. And we need to make sure that sovereignty can be exercised at the moment of attaining statehood. That is our purpose. So we are absolutely driven to end the suffering that we see today. We've got to act with every word we use, international support, to get the food and the support into starving, people who are starving in Gaza and suffering in Gaza today."

Palestinians scramble for food amid hunger crisis, in Gaza City.

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GAZA CITY, GAZA (JULY 23, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

22. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING AT A SOUP KITCHEN WITH EMPTY POTS, SOME BEING SERVED FOOD

Israelis largely reacted with disapproval on Friday (July 25) of France's intention to recognise a Palestinian state later this year.

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TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (JULY 25, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

23. PEOPLE WALKING IN PARK

24. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TEL AVIV RESIDENT, MATAN (LAST NAME NOT GIVEN), SAYING:

"I think that is a real slap in the face to Israel and the victims of October 7. I think that is the easy thing to do, I think it's easy to put the blame on Israel and to say we reward this act of terrorism with a Palestinian state and maybe that is some lip service for his voters."

25. MAN READING NEWSPAPER

26. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI CITIZEN IZIK KUBERSKI, SAYING:

"It's gonna be a Hamas state, and you know what happens when the terrorists... So it's not a good idea. If they want a real peace, they can have it but they have to stop with the terrorism and they have to recognise Israel."

27. PEOPLE AT CAFE