The United Nations General Assembly summit for the recognition of a Palestinian State has kicked off, with France, among many others, recognizing a Palestinian State during the event, in what they call a push for peace under the "two-state solution".

Six countries have recognized the State of Palestine at the summit including, Andorra, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco.

Opening the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the "Two-State Solution" at the United Nations in New York on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron stated, "The time for peace has come, as we are just moments away from no longer being able to seize it."

Macron announced France's recognition of a Palestinian state, a long-anticipated move he defended as being in the interest of peace despite criticism from "Israel" and the United States. "France today recognizes a State of Palestine," Macron stated at the General Assembly while the Palestinian delegation led an ovation, noting that with this step, he was propping up "peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples." 

Calling for the release of the Israeli captives, the French president added that "the time has come to stop the war, the bombings of Gaza, the massacres, and the displacement." He conditioned the possible opening of a French embassy in the Palestinian state on the release of the Israeli captives currently in Gaza and a ceasefire.

Macron vowed to continue his fight against antisemitism following criticism from both "Israel" and the US, describing it as an "existential fight".

Macron added, "We have a historic responsibility today to chart the path for peace and preserve the possibility of a two-state solution, and the time for that has come," adding that waiting to recognize a Palestinian state was no longer productive, stressing that "Israel" has an absolute duty to ensure humanitarian aid reaches the Gaza Strip.

Saudi Arabia calls on all nations to follow suit

Separately, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan thanked the countries that have recognized a Palestinian state, calling the "Two-State Solution" conference a "historic opportunity to achieve peace." Bin Farhan called for all countries to follow the example of Western nations in recognizing a Palestinian state.

"We call on all other countries to take a similar historic step that will have a great impact on supporting the efforts towards implementation of the two-state solution," he stated during the UN conference.

He blasted Israeli violations in the West Bank and repeated attacks on Arab and Muslim countries, taking special note of the latest Israeli attack on Doha, Qatar.

“These actions underline Israel’s insistence on continuing aggressive practices that threaten regional and international peace and stability and undermine efforts of peace in the region,” the Saudi foreign minister said.

Belgium recognizes the State of Palestine

Belgium's Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, underlined that his country was giving out a strong political signal. However, he explained that diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine would only be established after the full demilitarization of Hamas and after democratic presidential and parliamentary elections are held.

Guterres disappointed at barring Palestinian delegation from attending

On his part, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, expressed his disappointment that the Palestinian delegation was prevented from attending the session with full representation, reiterating his call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, the release of captives, and the entry of aid into the enclave.

The president of the United Nations General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, also insisted that "Israel" is obligated to enable humanitarian access for Palestinians. She added that the current message is one of resilience, with the international community now developing a schedule of concrete steps to secure peace.

PA President Abbas: Hamas will have no role in governance

Meanwhile, the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, took the chance to emphasize that the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas will not have any role in governance.

Abbas who heads the PA in Ramallah, the occupied West Bank, said that Hamas should surrender its weapons to the PA.

He called for an immediate ceasefire and commended the role of Egypt and Qatar in mediating negotiations.

Abbas also noted Jordan and Egypt's rejection of the displacement plans of the Palestinian people.

Egypt: Two-state solution is a security imperative

Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, underscored that the two-state solution is “not just a political choice or a moral obligation” but “a security imperative”.

He reiterated Egypt's rejection of attempts to displace Palestinians or liquidate the Palestinian cause. 

Madbouly revealed that Cairo would host an international reconstruction conference, just after a ceasefire is reached in Gaza, aiming to mobilize funds to ensure that Palestinians are not uprooted from their land.

Erdogan attacks Netanyahu's policies

Later, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his government are working to make the establishment of a Palestinian state “impossible.”

Erdogan said that pushing back against Israeli oppression is a “moral responsibility.”

“The goal of deepening occupation and annexation policies is clear: kill the vision of a two-state solution, leave no ground for Palestinians to survive, and exile the Palestinian people,” the Turkish president affirmed. 

Spain stresses importance of recognizing the State of Palestine

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez warned that a "two-state solution" cannot be realized when the population of one of those two states is the victim of a genocide.”

Speaking before world leaders, Sanchez said that while recognizing Palestinian statehood is a “crucial step forward,” what is even more urgent is ensuring the survival of the Palestinian people within their own state.

“The Palestinian people are being annihilated, [so] in the name of reason, in the name of international law and in the name of human dignity, we have to stop this slaughter,” he stressed, noting that “at this precise moment, bombs continue to fall indiscriminately on the civilian population in Gaza.”

He concluded his speech by urging that Palestine be admitted as a “fully fledged member of the United Nations as soon as possible,” while calling on countries to adopt “immediate … measures to halt the brutality and make peace.”