France is preparing, along with 10 other countries, to recognize the State of Palestine.

The wave of international recognition for the State of Palestine continues, as France prepares, along with 10 other countries, to officially announce its recognition during a summit held today, Monday, at the United Nations headquarters in New York to discuss the future of the two-state solution amid the bloody war on the Gaza Strip.

This anticipated recognition comes as a culmination of a diplomatic process that lasted for months, led by Saudi Arabia and France, aimed at exerting further pressure on Israel and linking the future of peace in the region to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated in an interview with CBS on Sunday, "If we want to isolate Hamas, then recognizing the Palestinian state and the accompanying peace plan is a prerequisite. The Palestinians want a homeland, and if we do not provide them with a political horizon, they will cling to Hamas as the only solution."

Paris expects small European countries such as Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and San Marino to join it, bringing the total number to 11 new countries, thus increasing the number of states recognizing Palestine to 147 out of 193 UN member states, according to statistics.

One day before the summit, Sunday witnessed a significant development with the official recognition of the State of Palestine by Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, marking a shift in the positions of some of Israel's closest traditional allies.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that his country recognized the Palestinian state "to keep the hope of peace alive," emphasizing that the recognition is parallel to imposing additional sanctions on figures from Hamas.

For his part, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada is offering its partnership to build a peaceful future for both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed that the recognition comes as part of a coordinated international effort to revive the two-state solution and establish a ceasefire in Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the recognitions on Sunday, considering them a step towards "just and lasting peace," but he will not be able to attend the summit in person after the United States refused to grant him and his delegation entry visas.

In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his rhetoric, vowing not to allow the establishment of a Palestinian state, describing the recognitions as "a threat to Israel's existence."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the world should not fear Israeli reactions, emphasizing that Tel Aviv continues "a policy aimed at destroying Gaza and annexing the West Bank."

With the addition of France and Britain, Palestine will have received recognition from 4 of the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (China and Russia recognized it since 1988), while the United States continues to oppose recognition, describing the move as "performative" and calling for "focus on serious diplomacy."