France will recognise State of Palestine: Macron
'True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine. I will make a formal announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September,' the French head of state wrote on X and Instagram.
Including France, Palestinian statehood is now recognised by 142 countries, according to an AFP tally, though Israel and the United States strongly oppose recognition.
Hamas says France plan to recognise Palestinian state 'important step'
France would be the most significant European power to recognise a Palestinian state.
'The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and rescue the civilian population,' Macron wrote.
'We must finally build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability and enable it, by accepting its demilitarisation and fully recognising Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East.'
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Express Tribune
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Israel announces daily pauses in Gaza fighting as aid airdrops begin
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Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday in their first airdrop in months, a Jordanian official source said. Read More: Gaza bound aid ship intercepted as Israel announces partial humanitarian pause The official said the air drops were not a substitute for delivery by land. Palestinian health officials in Gaza City said at least 10 people were injured by falling aid boxes. The military said designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6 am and 11 pm starting from Sunday. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said staff would step up efforts to feed the hungry during the pauses in the designated areas. Welcome announcement of humanitarian pauses in Gaza to allow our aid through. In contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window. — Tom Fletcher (@UNReliefChief) July 27, 2025 "Our teams on the ground ... will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window," he said on X. Health officials at Al-Awda and Al-Aqsa Hospitals in the central Gaza Strip said Israeli firing killed at least 17 people and wounded 50 waiting for aid trucks on Sunday. Israel's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. Also Read: UNRWA belittles Gaza aid airdrops proposal The ministry reported six new deaths over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition, bringing the total deaths from malnutrition and hunger to 133 including 87 children. 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The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's offensive has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins and displaced nearly the entire population.
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Dar touts inflation dip, better global relations
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