French President Emmanuel Macron has said France will formally recognize Palestinian statehood in September. The announcement was met with a sharp rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Macron's decision "rewards terror." It comes as Gaza faces a severe humanitarian crisis, with media outlets urging Israel to open Gaza to journalists. Meanwhile, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said the US is withdrawing from Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha, Qatar. Witkoff accused Hamas of taking a "selfish position." Hamas, which carried out the October 7, 2023, terror attacks, continues to hold Israeli hostages. This blog is now closed. It was a roundup of developments in Israel, Gaza and the wider Middle East on Thursday, July 24. Skip next section US Secretary of State Rubio 'strongly rejects' Macron's plan 07/25/2025July 25, 2025 US Secretary of State Rubio 'strongly rejects' Macron's plan US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday sharply criticized France's intention to recognize a Palestinian state and called the decision "reckless." "The United States strongly rejects Emmanuel Macron's plan to recognize a Palestinian state," Rubio wrote on X. "This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th." Show additional content? This content is part of the text you are currently reading. The provider X / Twitter provides this content and may collect your usage data directly when you click “Show content”. Always show content from X / Twitter. https://p.dw.com/p/4xzzW Copy link Skip next section Palestinians welcome Macron's decision 07/25/2025July 25, 2025 Palestinians welcome Macron's decision The Palestinian Authority on Thursday welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron's declaration that France would formally recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' deputy Hussein al-Sheikh said the decision "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." Earlier on Thursday, Macron published a letter sent to Abbas confirming France's intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition. The militant group Hamas called Macron's pledge a "positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to self-determination." Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also welcomed the French decision to join Spain in recognizing an independent Palestinian state, saying it would "protect" a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Together, we must protect what Netanyahu is trying to destroy. The two-state solution is the only solution," the Spanish PM posted on X.