Macron Hopes French Recognition Of Palestine Would Encourage Other Nations: ‘Disarm Hamas, Reform PA’

<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>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, &ldquo;What we want to trigger is a series of other recognitions.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>He indicated that France&rsquo;s official recognition of Palestine could come as early as June, during a United Nations conference in New York, according to news agency AFP.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>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.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>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.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>France is among a number of European nations supporting a proposal that envisions Gaza returning to the control of the Ramallah-based authority&mdash;provided a ceasefire agreement is reached to end the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>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.&nbsp;</span></p>
<h3 class=”p1″><strong><span class=”s1″>France’s Macron Speaks To Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas</span></strong></h3>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>According to a<a href=”https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1911774873614958595″> statement shared on X</a>, 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.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; Macron said in his post.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>&ldquo;It is essential to set a framework for the day after: disarm and sideline Hamas, define credible governance and reform the Palestinian Authority,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>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.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Macron has indicated that France could formally recognise a Palestinian state during a United Nations conference in New York in June.&nbsp;</span></p>