NEW YORK: In a high-level summit held ahead of the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), France, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco announced that they formally recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.

The summit, held in New York in coordination with Saudi Arabia, saw French President Emmanuel Macron make a formal declaration, stating that it is the responsibility of nations to secure the possibility of a two-state solution.

With this declaration, as of April this year, 147 out of 193 UN member states had recognized Palestine. Now, about 80 percent of the international community formally recognizes the Palestinian state.

This move adds diplomatic pressure on Israel, which has continued its actions resulting in genocide over Gaza.