Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday (local time) said that the country is considering recognising a Palestinian state and could do so as early as June, as reported by Politico.
Citing an interview with the French President, Politico reported that Macron expressed his intention to push for Palestinian statehood at a conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, which will focus on advancing a two-state solution. Macron emphasised that the move is based on fairness rather than to appease any particular party.
"We must move toward recognition, and we will do so in the coming months... I'm not doing it for unity or to please this or that person. I'm doing it because at some point it will be fair," the French president said, as quoted by Politico.
Macron's statement follows Israel's resumption of airstrikes on Gaza after a ceasefire broke down after just two months of its imposition, with Israel halting humanitarian aid to the region, as per Politico.
The conflict, which began after Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack, has resulted in significant casualties on both sides, with 1,200 people being killed and 250 taken hostage from the Israeli side and 50,000 people dying in Gaza, as per Politico.
France has long supported a two-state solution but has avoided recognising Palestine as a state until now, saying it would only do so if it advanced the peace process. Macron's remarks came after a visit to Egypt, where he met with Palestinians affected by the conflict.
"I want to believe in peace; today the conflict has intensified and it's terrible ... Since March 2, there's nothing going in [to the Gaza Strip] -- no water, no food, no medication, and none of the injured are coming out," Macron said as quoted by Politico.
His decision to recognise a Palestinian state is expected to strain relations with Israel. Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar, have criticised the move, arguing that recognising Palestine now would reward terrorism and strengthen Hamas. France's Jewish umbrella group, Crif, also condemned the decision, calling it a political win for Hamas while Israeli hostages remain in Gaza.
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