French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France will recognize the State of Palestine, making it the first G7 nation to do so, will “likely irritate” American President Donald Trump, according to the New York Times (NYT).
Macron’s Announcement and Anticipated US Reaction
In a surprise statement on the X platform yesterday, Macron revealed that France’s decision would be officially announced at the UN General Assembly in New York in September.
The NYT suggests this move will “likely irritate President Trump while he also makes his own moves in an attempt to end the war in Gaza. Most countries recognize a Palestinian state, but the U.S. and most of its close allies do not.”
“Today, the most urgent thing is to stop the war in Gaza and help the civilian population,” Macron stated.
Gaza’s Worsening Humanitarian Crisis
After 21 months of devastating war, the lack of available food and water in Gaza is severely affecting the most vulnerable – the young, elderly, and sick. The World Food Program announced this week that one-third of Gaza’s population “goes without eating for several consecutive days.”
The New York Times notes that hospitals in Gaza are struggling to help those wounded in Israeli airstrikes, while people are dying “in Israeli attacks on desperate crowds near food convoys and at aid distribution points.” The newspaper concludes that “doctors now say hunger is killing their patients and that the number of those dying from malnutrition has sharply increased in recent days.”
