Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday that recognizing the state of Palestine before its establishment could lead to counterproductive results.

Meloni added in a statement to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica,"I strongly support the establishment of a Palestinian state, but I do not support recognizing it before its establishment," according to Reuters news agency.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country intends to recognize Palestine as a state during the United Nations meeting next September.

Other EU member states have recognized Palestine since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, but France is the first G7 member to take such a step.