France will officially recognize the state of Palestine, "true to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East," Emmanuel Macron said.

France's decision to recognise Palestine comes amid European anger towards the ongoing war in Gaza and Israeli actions in the Palestinian territory.

Arab countries will for the first time condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament early next week at a United Nations ministerial event in New York, a move meant to lure more European countries to recognize Palestinian statehood,