French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said he hopes France recognising a Palestinian state will encourage other nations to follow suit in reviving the stalled two-state solution and planning a post-war future for Gaza. Speaking during a visit to an Arab culture centre in Paris, Macron stated, “What we want to trigger is a series of other recognitions.”
He indicated that France’s official recognition of Palestine could come as early as June, during a United Nations conference in New York, according to news agency AFP.
His remarks come amid intensifying calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, where Israel has resumed large-scale military operations since the collapse of a truce with Hamas in mid-March. According to reports, hundreds of thousands have been displaced while humanitarian aid remains severely restricted.
Macron reiterated his call for the reform of the Palestinian Authority (PA) as part of a broader plan for the West Bank-based body to govern post-war Gaza, excluding Hamas from governance.
France is among a number of European nations supporting a proposal that envisions Gaza returning to the control of the Ramallah-based authority—provided a ceasefire agreement is reached to end the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Israel resumed its deadly airstrikes on Gaza on 18 March after halting aid to the Palestinian coastal enclave, ending a two-month ceasefire with Hamas.
France’s Macron Speaks To Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas
According to a statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, Macron spoke with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas over the phone on Monday. This came days after the French President said his country could take the unprecedented step of recognising a Palestinian state in the coming months, drawing sharp criticism from Israel.
“France is fully mobilised to obtain the return of all hostages, the return of a lasting ceasefire and immediate access for humanitarian aid into Gaza,” Macron said in his post.
“It is essential to set a framework for the day after: disarm and sideline Hamas, define credible governance and reform the Palestinian Authority,” he added.
Macron further stated that such steps should contribute to progress towards a two-state solution, with the aim of achieving peace and security for all parties. He also referenced the upcoming peace conference scheduled to be held in June.
Macron has indicated that France could formally recognise a Palestinian state during a United Nations conference in New York in June.
According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, both Macron and Abbas underscored “the urgent need for a ceasefire, accelerating humanitarian aid delivery, and rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from their land.”
France has endorsed a plan advanced by Arab nations—including Jordan—aimed at rebuilding Gaza without displacing its 2.4 million residents. This Arab League-backed initiative is seen as a counter to a reported United States proposal to relocate Gaza’s population elsewhere.
Hamas has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007 after winning the 2006 parliamentary elections and amid subsequent political tensions.
Both France and the United States, under President Joe Biden, have called on the Palestinian Authority to undertake significant internal reforms, including tackling corruption and introducing new leadership, with the hope that a renewed PA could govern Gaza in the future.
However, the Ramallah-based PA, led by the 89-year-old Abbas, has struggled to assert itself, constrained by Israel’s longstanding occupation of the West Bank and waning domestic support.
France has consistently supported the two-state solution, envisioning an independent Palestinian state coexisting peacefully alongside Israel. A formal recognition of a Palestinian state would mark a major shift in French foreign policy and could risk further tensions with Israel, which has repeatedly stated that such moves by foreign governments are premature, AFP reported.
Benjamin Netanyahu, His Son Slam Macron’s Remarks On Recognising Palestine
Macron’s recent comments drew strong condemnation from right-wing groups in France, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his son Yair Netanyahu. The younger Netanyahu posted “Screw you!” in English on X late Saturday in response to Macron’s remarks, while the Israeli Prime Minister himself dismissed the comments.
The ongoing war in Gaza erupted after Hamas launched an attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 58 of whom are still believed to be held in Gaza, including 34 whom the Israeli military has declared dead.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has since claimed the lives of more than 50,900 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. The United Nations has assessed the health ministry’s figures as credible.
