Recognition of Palestinian state 'not a taboo for France,' says French president

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday reiterated that the two-state solution is the only way forward for regional peace, saying that recognition of "Palestinian state is not a taboo for France."

Macron, speaking at a joint news conference in Paris with Jordanian King Abdullah II, said Jordan and France share a commitment and determination to achieve truly sustainable peace in the Middle East through the two-state solution.

France is prepared to contribute to peace efforts from Europe and the UN Security Council, the president stated, adding that "recognition of Palestinian state is not a taboo for France. We owe this to the Palestinians, whose aspirations were long suppressed."

Macron also urged other regional actors, "particularly Iran," to prevent the conflict from spillover, primarily to Lebanon and the Red Sea.

"A cease-fire is our absolute priority," Macron said, stressing the gravity of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

“The human toll of the war is intolerable," he remarked.

"I said it to the Israeli prime minister some days ago… an Israeli attack on Rafah can only lead to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and would be a turning point in this conflict," the French leader noted.

"I share Jordan and Egypt's fears of a forced and massive displacement of the population also," he added.

Macron warned that this would be "not only a new grave violation of international law but also a major risk of regional escalation."

King Abdullah, for his part, stressed the need for a "lasting cease-fire in Gaza," adding that an Israeli attack on Rafah, where nearly 1.5 million people have been forced to seek refuge, "will have catastrophic humanitarian consequences that cannot be accepted."

The king also noted that his country is making efforts to "prevent this conflict from spiraling into the region."

"A political solution that leads to peace … based on a two-state solution is the only way to guarantee security for the Palestinians, the Israelis, and the entire region," he stressed.

Since a cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, the Israeli offensive into Gaza has killed more than 28,600 people and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Tension also has flared along the border between Lebanon and Israel amid intermittent exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, in the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.

Despite international outcry, Israel plans a ground invasion of Rafah, which holds about 1.4 million refugees. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, "We will fight until complete victory and this includes a powerful action in Rafah."