The most powerful European country to declare such a step is France, whose president, Emmanuel Macron, stated Thursday that his country will formally recognize a Palestinian state at a September UN summit.
According to an AFP count, at least 142 nations currently recognize or intend to recognize Palestinian statehood; nevertheless, the United States and Israel are adamantly against the idea.
Since Israel began bombarding Gaza over two years ago in retaliation for the Hamas attacks, a number of nations have declared their intention to recognize Palestinian statehood.
The action “reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state,” said Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior official with the Palestinian Authority.
