Students participate in a pro-Palestinian protest in Rome, Italy, on Sept. 22, 2025. (Photo/Xinhua)

Brussels - Five more European countries announced their recognition of the State of Palestine on Monday, during the high-level session of the 80th United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Here is what you need to know about the latest developments.

Who has newly recognized Palestine?

France, which co-chaired the high-level meeting in support of the two-state solution at the UN, became the latest major European country to formally recognize Palestine, fulfilling a commitment signaled in recent months.

In his speech at the UN, French President Emmanuel Macron said, "The time for peace has come. We must do everything within our power to preserve the very possibility of a two-state solution."

Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco also announced their recognition of Palestine in the meeting.

Ahead of the UN high-level gathering, Britain and Portugal, along with Australia and Canada, recognized Palestine on Sunday.

So far, more than 150 UN member states have recognized Palestine.

A Palestinian flag is seen at the gate of the Palestine Mission to the UK in London, Britain, Sept. 22, 2025. (Photo/Xinhua)

Why more European countries?

Israel's continued military actions in Gaza, the deteriorating humanitarian situation and escalating violence by settlers in the West Bank are believed to be the main drivers for more European countries to recognize Palestine.

Faruk Boric, a political analyst from Sarajevo, told Xinhua that the prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza has left a bitter impression, and the hesitation of Western countries to take action has undermined their ability to claim universal values and moral authority.

The public outcry against Israel's military actions has shaken the political climate in major European countries like Britain and France, where large-scale protests have been held regularly in recent months.

French historian Thomas Maineult told the media that the humanitarian catastrophe has accelerated leaders' decisions as a response to their people.

Meanwhile, according to French analysts, recognition of Palestine also reflects Europe's pursuit of "strategic autonomy," a principle that has been consistently promoted within both the EU and NATO by major European countries.

Military experts see the recognition as a signal that countries like France are aiming to reposition themselves as both political and military mediators in reshaping the Middle East.

How has Israel reacted?

Israel's Permanent Representative to the UN, Danny Danon, warned that Israel would continue its military operations. "They are not promoting peace. They are supporting terrorism," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday sent a stark message in response to the recognitions from Britain, Australia, and Canada, saying, "It will not happen. There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan."

Netanyahu is scheduled to deliver a speech on Friday at the UN and said that more responses to the new round of diplomatic actions will be announced after he returns to Israel.

According to Politico, Israel is likely to focus on building more settlements and expanding areas of military control in the West Bank. Some of Netanyahu's ministers are also calling for a full annexation of the West Bank.

Empty seats of Israeli delegation are seen during the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 22, 2025. (Photo/Xinhua)

What's next?

The new wave of recognition of the State of Palestine is seen as largely symbolic and is unlikely to have an immediate effect on the reality on the ground, since the UN General Assembly can only grant full membership with the approval of the Security Council, a move the U.S. would likely veto.

White House press secretary Karoline Levitt said U.S. President Donald Trump believes that recognizing a Palestinian state will not help end conflict and war. "He sees it as a reward for Hamas," said Levitt.

The London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) argued that recognition strengthens Palestine's diplomatic position by treating statehood as the starting point for negotiations, rather than as a reward at the end.

Another consequence is the deepening rift between the U.S. and its traditional allies in Europe. The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) noted that the clear transatlantic divide on the issue will "only reinforce the negative drift of European public attitudes toward the United States."

"We are seeing alliances shift: Israel and the U.S. stand against most European nations," Karim Amellal, France's former Ambassador to the Mediterranean, told Politico Europe. The current dynamic will further underscore the isolation of the U.S. and Israel, he added.