Photo credit, Reuters
-
- Author, Jaroslav Lukiv
- Role, BBC News
France will officially recognize the Palestinian state in September, said President Emmanuel Macron.
In a message published on X, Mr. Macron said that the official announcement will be made during a session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to rescue the civilian population. Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and massive humanitarian aid for the Gaza population, “he wrote.
Palestinian officials welcomed Macron’s decision, while the Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called her “shame and capitulation in the face of terrorism”.
In his message published Thursday on X, Macron wrote: “True to his historical commitment in favor of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I decided that France will recognize the state of Palestine.
We must also guarantee the demilitarization of Hamas, secure and rebuild Gaza.
Finally, we must build the Palestinian State, ensure its viability and ensure that it contributes to the security of all in the Middle East by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel. There is no other alternative. »»
Macron also joined a letter to the president of the Palestinian authority Mahmoud Abbas confirming his decision.
Reacting to the announcement of Macron, the vice-president of Abbas, Hussein Al-Sheikh, said that “this position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the creation of our independent state”, according to the AFP press agency.
Currently, the Palestinian state is recognized by 147 of the 193 UN member states.
Some countries of the European Union, including Spain, are part of it. But the main support of Israel, the United States, and its allies, including the United Kingdom, have not recognized the Palestinian state.
