U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the latest round of U.S.-backed ceasefire negotiations with Hamas collapsed on the same day French President Emmanuel Macron announced France would unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state. Rubio argued that Macron’s move ‘emboldened’ Hamas and made a truce less likely, adding, “If I’m Hamas, I’d basically conclude: let’s not do a ceasefire.” Other officials familiar with the talks disputed Rubio’s chronology. Reporter Barak Ravid, citing negotiators involved in the effort, said Hamas delivered its final response to the ceasefire proposal almost 24 hours before Macron’s recognition statement, after which Israeli and U.S. envoys were recalled. That account suggests the talks had already foundered before France’s decision. France’s recognition, announced earlier this week, triggered criticism in Washington and Jerusalem, but was welcomed by several governments. Rubio’s remarks underscore tensions among Western allies over how diplomatic gestures toward Palestinian statehood may affect efforts to halt the months-long Israel-Hamas conflict.