France became the latest Western nation to formally recognize Palestinian sovereignty, which remains a largely symbolic gesture. It was followed by calls for Israel to end the war in Gaza and stop its expansion of West Bank settlements.

The announcements came on the eve of the annual gathering of the U.N. General Assembly.

PARIS: Britain, Australia and Canada on Sunday recognized a Palestinian state after nearly two years of war in the Gaza Strip, with France, Belgium and other countries poised to…