French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a United Nations 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, though Israel and the United States strongly oppose the move.

Several countries have announced plans to recognise statehood for the Palestinians since Israel launched a bombardment of Gaza in 2023 in response to the October 7 attacks.

Macron's announcement drew immediate anger from Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it "rewards terror" and poses an existential threat to Israel.

Netanyahu said in a statement that the move "risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became," which would be "a launch pad to annihilate Israel – not to live in peace beside it".

Senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh welcomed the move, saying it "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". (AFP)