PARIS — France and the United Kingdom formally recognised a Palestinian state on Sunday, coinciding with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed the move, joined by several other Western governments.

The announcements followed months of preparation. Macron had pledged in 2025 that France would recognise Palestinian statehood, conditioned on steps by the Palestinian Authority and progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza. Britain had set similar conditions. Canada, Australia and Belgium had signalled parallel intentions.

France and Saudi Arabia coordinated the recognitions to coincide with a high-level conference on the two-state solution at the UN. French diplomats said the timing was intended to maximise pressure on Israel and revive stalled negotiations before world leaders convene for the annual debate.

Israel's government reacted with fury. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said recognition rewarded terrorism and vowed retaliatory measures, including possible steps in the occupied West Bank. The United States, whose President Donald Trump is due to address the assembly on Tuesday, opposed the moves, with the State Department calling them counterproductive.

The decisions bring the number of UN member states recognising Palestine to well over 150. The inclusion of major Western powers and permanent Security Council members France and Britain carries far greater diplomatic weight than earlier recognitions.

"Recognition of a Palestinian state is the only path to peace and security for both peoples," Macron said in a statement released by the Élysée Palace.