European leaders on Friday welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron?s announcement that France will formally recognize Palestine as a state, calling it a significant step toward achieving peace in the Middle East.

In a post on X Thursday, Macron said he will formalize the decision at the UN General Assembly in September.

?I welcome the announcement by President Macron that France will recognise Palestine in September,? Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on X. ?This is an important contribution towards implementing the two-state solution, which offers the only lasting basis for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.?

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also expressed support, writing on X: ?I welcome that France joins Spain and other European countries in recognizing the State of Palestine. Together, we must protect what Netanyahu is trying to destroy. The two-state solution is the only solution.?

Scottish First Minister John Swinney urged the UK government to follow France?s example. ?The UK should follow the example of France tonight and recognise the State of Palestine. This is essential for peace. The ceasefire and humanitarian aid must start now."

Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon described Macron?s decision as ?a bold step for peace and a two-state solution,? reaffirming her country?s commitment to international law and a lasting peace in the region.

The Czech Republic also reacted to Macron?s announcement, reiterating its longstanding position in support of a two-state solution.

In a statement, the Czech Foreign Ministry, however, stressed that Palestinian statehood must be the outcome of direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Czech President Petr Pavel, speaking during a visit to Japan, also echoed this stance.

While support for France?s move grew across many parts of Europe, others were more cautious.

Germany said that it does not plan to recognize Palestine in the short term.

Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said Berlin views recognition as ?one of the final steps? in the peace process, which must be reached through negotiations.

?The German government's priority now is to achieve long-overdue progress on the most urgent issues,? Kornelius said, pointing to the need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Italy also refrained from joining the move. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome supports a two-state solution but believes recognition must be reciprocal.

?Italy is in favor of the two-peoples-two-states solution, but the recognition of the new Palestinian state must take place at the same time as their recognition of the state of Israel,? he told members of his Forza Italia party.

?We are interested in peace, not in the victory of one side over the other,? he added, noting that Italy has taken in the largest number of refugees from Gaza.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot also wrote on X that he will submit a proposal to the government before the UN General Assembly to decide in light of various factors that could "help promote a real and lasting peace between the two states."

"Until then, let us not lose sight of where the most pressing urgency lies: in the humanitarian tragedy and all those people, many of them children, who are shamefully dying every day for lack of food. We must first and foremost devote our energy to shifting the lines so that humanitarian aid can be delivered in large volumes to Gaza," Prevot noted.

Reminding that despite formal requests, the Israeli blockade on humanitarian access to Gaza remains, he reiterated the need to ensure land access so that "Belgian aid can reach Gaza."

(AA)

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