Washington: The United States and Israel have condemned a French decision to officially recognise Palestine as a state, as US-mediated negotiations to secure a ceasefire in Gaza broke down on Friday (AEST).

The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy will hold an emergency call on Friday to talk about the deteriorating conditions in Gaza.

France will recognize a Palestinian state in the next United Nations General Assembly in September, The Associated Press reported Thursday. French President Emmanuel Macron said in a Thursday X post that he would formalize the decision in the coming assembly,

France’s decision has only added to calls on the UK government to recognise Palestine. A cross-party committee of British MPs said it plainly: “It seems that the Israeli government is not listening to the UK. And while it listens to the US government, it only does so sporadically,” per Yahoo News.

The French president's announcement prompted a harsh response from Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the coalition said all communications with the crew of the Handala had been severed.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, the most powerful European nation to announce such a move.At least 142 countries now recognise or plan to recognise Palestinian statehood,

an 11-month-old Palestinian girl, Seela Barbakh, lies on her back, her fragile body a stark illustration of the devastating impact of malnutrition in the Gaza Strip. Seela's mother, Najah Barbakh, cradles her daughter's head in her hands, supporting it as ...