Rubio condemns French decision to recognise Palestinian state, as policy gap widens between US and Europe

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has condemned an announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron that his country will recognise a Palestinian state, calling it a "reckless decision".

Mr Rubio described the move as a setback for peace and said it was an affront to the victims of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the Gaza war.

Mr Macron said on Thursday that France intended to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the UN General Assembly, adding that he hoped it would help bring peace to the Middle East. The announcement widens a rift between Europe and the US on policy towards Palestine, after Washington's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said in June that he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a US foreign policy goal.

France to recognise Palestinian statehood, Macron says

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"This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace," Mr Rubio said. "It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7."

About 140 countries now recognise or plan to recognise Palestinian statehood, but France would become the biggest European power to do so, and the first G7 state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the move, saying it "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became".

"A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launchpad to annihilate Israel, not to live in peace beside it," he added.

However, there was widespread praise for the French decision. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry called it historic.

"The kingdom reiterates its call for all countries that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine to take similar positive steps and adopt serious positions that support peace and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," it said.

Lack of food hindering injured Gazans' recovery

Jordan's Foreign Ministry also commended Paris. "This is a step in the right direction towards the realisation of the two-state solution and the end of the occupation," ministry spokesman Sufyan Qudah said in a statement.

Senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein Al Sheikh praised the move, saying it "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".

In Europe, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose country already recognises Palestine, welcomed the announcement. "Together, we must protect what Netanyahu is trying to destroy," said Mr Sanchez, an outspoken critic of the conflict in Gaza. "The two-state solution is the only solution."

Hamas, meanwhile, also welcomed the decision as a "positive step in the right direction towards doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to self-determination".

"We call on all countries of the world, especially European nations and those that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine, to follow France's lead," it said.

France will join Norway, Ireland and Spain in recognising Palestine. To date, only nine EU members have taken the step, making France’s move significant, especially given its status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Mr Macron's move comes as anger mounts over the death toll in the Gaza war and the growing number of people starving in the enclave. “The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,″ the French President said.

In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an "emergency call" on Friday with France and Germany on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, urging a ceasefire and steps towards Palestinian statehood.

"We will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace," he said in a statement. "A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis."

Mr Starmer said the situation in Gaza had "reached new depths and continues to worsen". He added that the "suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible".