UN gathering eyes solution to deadlocked Palestinian question

Fired by France's imminent recognition of Palestinian statehood, UN members meet next week to breathe life into the push for a two-state solution as Israel, expected to be absent, presses its war in Gaza.

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Days before the July 28-30 conference on fostering Israeli and Palestinian states living peacefully side-by-side to be co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would formally recognise the State of Palestine in September.

His declaration "will breathe new life into a conference that seemed destined to irrelevance", said Richard Gowan, an analyst at International Crisis Group.

"Macron's announcement changes the game. Other participants will be scrabbling to decide if they should also declare an intent to recognise Palestine."

According to an AFP database, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states - including France - now recognise the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.