What we covered here
• Multiple European countries announced recognition of a Palestinian state during a summit at the UN General Assembly on Monday. The countries who recognized Palestine today include France, Belgium, Monaco, Luxembourg and Malta. Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized Palestine yesterday.
• US President Donald Trump will speak at the UN General Assembly tomorrow. The US remains vehemently opposed to the recognition of statehood and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed “there will be no Palestinian state.”
• At least 50 Palestinians were killed yesterday in Israeli strikes on Gaza and the war has overall killed more than 65,000 people in the enclave, according to the health ministry.
Our live coverage of the UN summit and Middle East news has ended for the day. Follow the latest updates or read through the posts below.
Here's the latest: More UN members recognize Palestinian statehood as conditions worsen in Gaza
About 80% of the member states in the United Nations General Assembly, so far, have recognized the Palestinian state as Israel continues its war in Gaza and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.
Here’s what else you need to know:
Nations that recognize Palestine: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta and Monaco announced recognition of a Palestinian state during today’s two-state solution summit at the UNGA session.
Israel’s response: Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the UN, reiterated his condemnation of the summit, and said the US and Israel “will not participate in this charade.”
Canada explains its recognition decision: Prime Minister Mark Carney said the recognition was imperative now as the prospect of a two-state solution was fading. “The possibility — in absolute violation of the UN Charter and an absolute violation of international law — of self-determination for the Palestinian people is being erased,” he said today.
March for Gaza: Tens of thousands of protesters marched in more than 80 Italian cities today after unions called for a nationwide strike in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
On the ground: Despite the slew of recognitions, Palestinians in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem said ground realities are not changing for them. Israel’s deepening ground offensive in the Gaza City area has shut two hospitals, according to an aid group and the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The Israel Defense Forces says more than 300,000 Palestinians have left Gaza City since it ordered civilians to evacuate. Meanwhile, on the eve of the Jewish new year, Hamas released a video of one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, warning of the risk they face as the Israeli military escalates its attacks on Gaza City.
CNN’s Elise Hammond, Billy Stockwell, Zeena Saifi, Ibrahim Dahman, Abeer Salman, Hira Humayun, Lauren Izso, Oren Liebermann, Ben Wedeman, Antonia Mortensen and Barbie Latza Nadeau contributed to this report.
Andorra announces plan to recognize Palestinian state once conditions are met
Andorra’s foreign minister Imma Tor Faus announced her country’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state once certain conditions are in place.
Speaking at the UN in New York on Monday, the foreign minister said the “only credible path out of this conflict” is a two-state solution.
She added that a future Palestinian state should be demilitarized and should exist under a “reformed authority” of a government that does not involve Hamas.
Belgium recognizes Palestinian state but says can only take legal effect if Hamas is removed and hostages are returned
Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever said Monday that his country is joining other nations in recognizing a Palestinian state to give a “strong political and diplomatic signal to the world.”
However, the Belgium leader added that the legal recognition of a Palestinian state can only proceed “once all hostages have been released and all terrorist organizations such as Hamas have been removed from the governance of Palestine.”
Recognizing Palestinian state is start of "renewed commitment to hope," Luxembourg prime minister says
Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden said today that his country is officially recognizing a Palestinian state and that making this designation is the beginning of a “commitment to hope.”
“It is the beginning of a renewed commitment to hope, a commitment to diplomacy, to dialogue, to coexistence, and a two-state solution. To the idea fragile, but still possible, that peace can prevail,” Frieden said.
Speaking at a summit at the United Nations General Assembly, the prime minister recalled the history of the UN and said the decision to recognize Palestinian statehood is aligned with the values enshrined by the coalition.
He said Luxembourg believes “that the two-state solution remains the only viable way forward for lasting peace” and vowed that his country would act to be a parter to achieve peace.”
Frieden reiterated that it is “not a decision against Israel or its people” and also not a move to “reward violence.”
Some background: Luxembourg is the latest of several countries to also recognize a Palestinian state today, including France, Monaco, and Belgium.
Malta recognizes Palestinian statehood
Malta has joined the growing list of countries that recognize Palestinian statehood.
Abela said Malta also supports Israel’s right to exist alongside a democratic Palestinian state.
He said a two-state solution would be the “worst possible outcome” for Hamas and said Hamas should have no role in a future Palestinian government.
“If Palestinians can see a peaceful and realistic road to nationhood and self determination, it fatally undermines deciding cries of Hamas,” the prime minister said.
Egypt will host Gaza reconstruction conference when ceasefire reached, prime minister says
Egypt will host an international conference in Gaza on the enclave’s reconstruction once a ceasefire is achieved, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said at a two-state solution summit at the United Nations in New York on Monday.
The Egyptian official said the conference would “mobilize necessary funding” for reconstruction and called on the international community to contribute to the effort “as part and parcel of any serious move to make the two state solution a reality.”
“This will ensure that the Palestinian people will remain on their land, and it will help them overcome the huge losses caused by the aggression,” Madbouly said.
Monaco becomes latest country to recognize Palestinian state
Monaco has become the latest country to recognize a Palestinian state, with Prince Albert II making the announcement at a summit during the United Nations General Assembly today.
Monaco joins more than 145 other countries that have recognized a Palestinian state.
The prince said since the beginning, his country has defended Israel’s right “to live within safe and recognized borders and to enjoy security therein” as well as “the right of the Palestinian people to have a sovereign, viable and democratic state.”
Prince Albert II stressed the importance of finding a “balanced and sustainable” solution to end the conflict — once “all hostages have been released and as soon as Hamas has been disarmed.”
Speaking to a two-state solution, the prince said Monaco affirms that solution is “based on the existence of two national entities.”
Palestinian Authority president calls on Hamas to “surrender their weapons”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that Hamas must have “no role” in governing Gaza in the future and called on the militant group to hand over its weapons.
“Hamas and other factions must surrender their weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” Abbas said via video link at a summit on a two-state solution at the United Nations, where France announced its recognition of the Palestinian state.
The Palestinian leader also underscored his commitment to organize presidential and parliamentary elections after the end of the war. He added, “We will draft an interim constitution within three months to ensure the transfer of power from the authority to the state.”
Abbas also called for more nations to recognise a Palestinian state.
Expanding settlements in West Bank are "eroding any prospects" for a solution, says UNGA president
United Nations General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock stressed the importance of a two-state solution as she condemned the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
She said the settlement expansions and demolition in the occupied West Bank are “eroding any prospects for a political solution.”
Israel has approved a controversial plan to build thousands of new housing units in the West Bank that would cut the territory in two, with far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich previously saying, “the Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans, but with actions.”
Detailing the destruction in Gaza amid Israel’s offensive, Baerbock said: “The horrors of Gaza make equally clear that we cannot allow such devastation to happen again.”
She detailed her interactions with both Palestinians, whose family members are “buried in the ruins of Gaza,” and families of the hostages still waiting for their loved ones to be released from Hamas captivity.
“As one Israeli mother told me, it does not bring my child back if a Palestinian mother loses her child in Gaza,” Baerbock recounted.
Palestinian statehood is "a right" and only way to end war in Gaza, UN chief says
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called the situation in Gaza “intolerable” and said a two-state solution is the “only way out of this nightmare.”
Speaking at a summit at the UN General Assembly this afternoon, Guterres said that while he welcomes various countries’ decisions to recognize a two-state solution, he also noted “nothing can justify the horrific seven October terror attacks by Hamas or the taking of hostages.”
“And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he added.
Pushing back against criticism, he said statehood for Palestinians “is a right, not a reward” and without it, there will be “no peace” in the region.
Yesterday: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said those recognizing a Palestinian state “are giving a massive prize to terror.”
The possibility of "self-determination for the Palestinian people is being erased," Canadian PM says
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said recognizing the Palestinian state is imperative now because the prospect of a two-state solution “is receding before our eyes.”
“It’s necessary in our judgment, and the judgment of most other countries in the world, that we have to push on this now, because, as I say, the possibility — in absolute violation of the UN Charter and an absolute violation of international law — of self-determination for the Palestinian people is being erased,” Carney said at the Council on Foreign Relations, a day after announcing Canada’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
“The idea of waiting until all of the conditions are in place for a free and viable Palestinian state” is like “keeping the concept there on the shelf when it is the avowed policy of the Israeli government that there will never be a Palestinian state,” Carney said, pointing to Israel’s expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Carney noted that this recognition is consistent with Canada’s policy of a two-state solution that has been in place since 1947, but acknowledged that there are limitations to what this recognition can accomplish.
Recognition of Palestinian state is the only solution for peace, says Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron said at the United Nations on Monday that the recognition of a Palestinian state is the “only solution that will allow for Israel to live in peace,” calling the move a “defeat for Hamas.”
Speaking at a summit on a two-state solution in New York, Macron said “we must do everything within our power to preserve the very possibility of a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security.”
The recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people “takes nothing away from the rights of the people of Israel, who France supported from day one,” Macron said.
The French leader thanked other nations who have also recognized a state of Palestine in recent days. “They answered our call issued in July, and took the responsible choice, the necessary choice, the choice to opt for peace,” he said.
“Nothing will be possible unless the Palestinian authorities take full ownership of our renewed ambition so that we can, at last, achieve the two state solution,” he added later in his speech.
JUST IN: Macron announces France's recognition of Palestinian state
French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday that France has formally recognized the Palestinian state.
The move follows Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, which formally recognized the state of Palestine on Sunday, sparking staunch criticism from Israel. Several more nations are expected to declare their support later Monday.
US and Israel "will not participate in this charade," Israel's UN envoy says ahead of summit
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon reiterated his condemnation of Monday’s two-state solution summit in New York.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the summit, Danon said the US and Israel “will not participate in this charade” and expressed disappointment towards French President Emmanuel Macron, who is expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state at the summit, along with other leaders.
“On October 8, you stood with Israel, you spoke about the hostages. Today you’re moving on, you’re leaving the hostages behind,” he said referring to the countries with plans to recognize Palestinian statehood.
“Many leaders today will speak about the future when Hamas will not be part of Gaza, but I will ask them: who is going to do that?” Danon said. “The responsibility is on our shoulders.”
Danon said that after the Israeli prime minister returns to Israel, the government would discuss what actions it would take in response to the recognition of a Palestinian state by multiple countries.
The summit, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, aims to intensify efforts toward reviving a two-state solution and provide a pathway to peace.
Workers stage nationwide protests across Italy in support of Palestinians in Gaza
Tens of thousands of protesters have marched in more than 80 Italian cities today after unions called for a nationwide strike in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Protests were primarily peaceful, except for in Milan, where a group broke windows and clashed with police at the city’s main train station.
The demonstrators also called for Italy’s government to join other Western nations in recognizing a Palestinian state, and to halt the flow of weapons to Israel through Italian ports.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is under pressure to announce formal recognition of the state of Palestine after Britain, Australia, Canada and Portugal did so yesterday, piling pressure on Israel over its campaign in Gaza.
Protesters are also planning to block the Italian port of Livorno on Tuesday where a US cargo ship is expected to dock with weapons en route to Israel.
Dock workers left their posts in Genoa and Marghera to protest the transfer of arms to Israel and to support the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of ships attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza and carry aid to the enclave. The flotilla departed for Gaza last week, after gathering around 40 vessels between Sicily and Malta.
USB, a trade union, called the general strike, which has affected public transport, railways, schools, ports and other public services. The union said the aim of the strike was to “break-off” relations with Israel, defend Gaza and support the flotilla.
More than 30,000 people had gathered in front of Rome’s Termini station by early Monday afternoon, local police said.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni chose to focus her response to the nationwide protests on the violence in Milan, posting on X images of destruction to the station.
“Violence and destruction that have nothing to do with solidarity and that will not change the lives of people in Gaza one iota, but will have concrete consequences for Italian citizens, who will end up suffering and paying for the damage caused by these thugs,” she wrote.
This post has been updated with additional details about the protests and Giorgia Meloni’s reaction.
Here are the world leaders US President Donald Trump will meet with at the UN tomorrow
US President Donald Trump plans to meet a host of foreign counterparts on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York tomorrow, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Trump said last week should agree to a peace deal with Russia.
Trump will also meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who has been pressing for new sanctions on Russia, and Argentine President Javier Milei, a top ally of the president who shares some of his political views, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters today.
Trump will meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as is standard for American presidents when they visit the body for the annual general assembly.
Later, Trump will host the leaders of multiple Arab and Muslim nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, for multilateral talks. Those talks come as efforts to end the war in Gaza stall, and as Trump comes under pressure to compel Israel to end the fighting.
He’ll end the day attending a reception with dozens of world leaders before returning to the White House.
Hamas releases video of hostage on eve of Jewish new year
On the eve of the Jewish new year, Hamas released a video of one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, warning of the risk they face as the Israeli military escalates its attacks on Gaza City.
The propaganda video shows Alon Ohel, 24, watching a short clip of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before Ohel speaks directly to the camera. In the nearly two-minute video, Ohel asks people to keep protesting on behalf of the hostages. He also asks the United States - without naming President Donald Trump - to stop supporting the decisions of Netanyahu. Ohel says the continuation of the war and the assault on Gaza City puts the lives of the hostages at risk.
In a statement, Ohel’s parents, Idit and Kobi, said, “Our family is shaken and in pain following the release of Alon’s video by Hamas. It’s evident that Alon is losing vision in his right eye, and he appears thin and distressed.”
The family requested that media do not show the video, calling it “psychological terror.”
It’s not clear when the video was shot, and Ohel makes no reference to the date in the clip. Ohel was last seen in a video earlier this month alongside hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal. The two embrace in a car as they are driven through parts of Gaza City. The video was released on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, which is a celebratory religious holiday where families traditionally spend time together.
As world leaders gather in New York, Israel’s Gaza City offensive shuts two hospitals, medical officials say
Israel’s deepening ground offensive in the Gaza City area has shut two hospitals, according to an aid group and the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The hospitals in Gaza City were forced to shut down Monday due to Israel’s escalating military offensive, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.
CNN has contacted the Israeli military for comment on the closures.
Continuous fire from Israeli quadcopters has made access to Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital and the Specialized Eye Hospital in the territory’s largest city “impossible,” UK-based Medical Aid for Palestinians said Monday.
The Israeli military has also targeted and destroyed a high-rise building housing a medical relief center in the city, MAP said.
An intensifying campaign: Israel is attempting to take control of Gaza City, which it says is a Hamas stronghold. Approximately one million people - nearly half the territory’s population - lived in and around Gaza City.. On Thursday, the IDF estimated less than half of the city’s residents - 450,000 people - were left, numbers which CNN cannot independently confirm.
Meanwhile, new US ambassador spoke at Security Council to admonish Russia over incursions into NATO territory
Newly confirmed US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz took the chair in the UN Security Council today to speak out against Russia’s repeated incursions of NATO territory and urged Moscow to “negotiate directly with Ukraine” to end the war.
In remarks at an emergency meeting of the UN body after Russian jets entered Estonian airspace, Waltz said the United States and its allies “will defend every inch of NATO territory.”
Waltz, who was confirmed on Friday and sworn in on Saturday, urged Russia “as a permanent member of this Council, to uphold international peace and security, to respect the sovereignty of its neighbors, to cease violating their airspace.”
