Luxembourg will not automatically recognise Palestine just because France plans to do so, Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel has said, although he added that the government is “leaning in this direction”.

Luxembourg will decide on its position on recognition in September, Bettel told public broadcaster 100.7 in an interview on Friday, citing the month when both he and Prime Minister Luc Frieden are due to travel to the UN General Assembly in New York.

“Luxembourg will not automatically recognise Palestine just because France will do so in September,” Bettel said, in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement on Thursday evening that France would recognise Palestine as a state.

However, at the same time, Bettel said that the Luxembourg government is “leaning in this direction” when it comes to recognising Palestine.

To date, Bettel has linked any recognition to preconditions, such as a ceasefire and the release of the hostages by Hamas, but has now indicated that position may shift.

“We realise that Israel and Hamas do not want to move forward. We cannot tell the government there to wait and see. With the current situation on the ground, this is no longer possible,” Bettel said on Friday.

Bettel confirmed that his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, informed him in advance of France’s decision, and the foreign minister briefed his cabinet colleagues during Thursday’s government council meeting.

‘Unbearable suffering in Gaza’

In a post on social media platform X on Friday, Bettel said he will travel to New York on Monday for a UN conference on the conflict, co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia.

“The suffering of the civilian population in Gaza is unbearable: hunger, violence and destruction. The two-state solution has never been as endangered as it is today,” he wrote.

Prime Minister Luc Frieden, speaking after the government council meeting on Thursday, condemned the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“Humanitarian aid must be able to reach the Gaza Strip. There is no argument that justifies letting people starve to death. This is absolutely unacceptable and violates all principles of humanity and international law,” he said.

Luxembourg will continue to advocate for a ceasefire, humanitarian access and a two-state solution, the prime minister added.

“The most concrete steps possible towards the recognition of Palestine within the framework of a lasting peace solution must be presented to the region in September,” Frieden said.

(This article was originally published by the Luxemburger Wort. Machine translated, with editing and adaptation by Kabir Agarwal)