The vast majority of the UN recognizes Palestine despite the United States veto.

WashingtonA massive response from the majority of UN member states against the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza—as already ruled by an independent commission of inquiry appointed by the United Nations—and further evidence of the isolation of Washington and its partner on the international scene. The 80th session of the UN General Assembly kicked off with a symbolic gesture of support for Gaza with the recognition of the Palestinian state by the vast majority of member states.

The session began with a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron, who formalized his recognition of the Palestinian state, as he had announced he would do. "The time has come. Therefore, faithful to my country's historic commitment to the Middle East, to peace for the Israeli people and the Palestinian people, I declare that France today recognizes the State of Palestine," Macron said at the High-Level Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Palestinian State, an initiative he and Saudi Arabia initiated. Macron also called on Israel to "do nothing that would jeopardize the success" of the ceasefire and assured that, once the ceasefire is reached and "all the hostages" have been released, France will consider establishing an embassy in Palestine.

In addition to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra, San Marino, and Malta are also expected to join the list of countries that have officially recognized the State of Palestine. This will bring the number of UN members that have taken this step to 156, out of a total of 193. On Sunday, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal also did so. This is a symbolic recognition of the attempt by both states to save the path, which, almost two years after the start of the war and with a genocide underway, seems further away than ever.

Right at the beginning of his speech, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized his "disappointment at having denied them [the Palestinians] the opportunity to be fully represented." Last August, the Donald Trump administration denied visas to travel to the United States to diplomats from the Palestinian Authority, including President Mahmoud Abbas, with the aim of marginalizing their voices. Guterres' criticism of this gesture was met with unanimous applause from the Assembly. "Let's be clear: Palestinian statehood is a right, not a reward. And denying it would be a gift to extremists everywhere."

Due to Washington's blockade, Mahmoud Abbas had to appear remotely. Abbas asserted: "Hamas will have no role in the government. Hamas and other groups must hand over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority. We want a united state without weapons, a state under one law and with a legitimate army." He also wanted to emphasize the Palestinian administration's "willingness" to "work with US President Donald Trump." He reiterated the call for Palestine to be recognized as a full member of the United Nations. Currently, it only holds observer status. "To the patient Palestinian people, I say: the dawn of freedom is approaching, there is no doubt about it," Abbas emphasized.

The formalization of the recognition of the Palestinian state takes place within the framework of the so-called High-Level Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, promoted by France and Saudi Arabia within the framework of the high-level week that began this Monday in New York. Among the participants in the summit were Abbas (via telematics), the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the French Prime Minister, Emmanuel Macron.

The offensive in Gaza City continues

The staging of dozens of countries closing ranks around Palestine comes as the Israeli army continues its operation to occupy Gaza City. Since the conflict erupted almost two years ago, Tel Aviv has caused the deaths of more than 63,000 Gazans. The UN refugee agency's commissioner for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, clarified in a BBC interview on Monday that "recognition of the Palestinian state means nothing if there is no ceasefire in Gaza."

Last Thursday, the United States, for the tenth time, single-handedly vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This Monday morning, hours before the start of the conference, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt reiterated once again that Trump "considers [this recognition] as a reward for Hamas." Last week, during a state visit to the United Kingdom, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer attempted to soften the US president's stance on the Palestinian issue. A diplomatic effort as fruitless as his attempt to smooth the way for Kiev during negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.