French President Macron warns any Israeli West Bank annexation would cross a red line, prompting European response during Abbas Paris visit.
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron declared on Tuesday that any Israeli plans to annex West Bank territory would cross a “red line” and provoke a European response.
He issued the warning during Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas’s Paris visit, occurring one month into a fragile Hamas-Israel truce following two years of war.
The 89-year-old Abbas leads the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and is being considered to govern Gaza under the ceasefire agreement.
Macron, whose country recognized Palestine in September, cautioned against annexation plans amid escalating West Bank violence.
“Plans for partial or total annexation, whether legal or de facto, constitute a red line to which we will respond strongly with our European partners,” Macron stated at a joint press conference with Abbas.
He condemned that “the violence of the settlers and the acceleration of settlement projects are reaching new heights, threatening the stability of the West Bank and constitute violations of international law.”
West Bank violence has intensified dramatically since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
Palestinian health ministry figures show at least 1,002 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers during this period.
Official Israeli statistics report 43 Israelis, including soldiers, killed in Palestinian West Bank attacks over the same timeframe.
Macron and Abbas announced establishing a joint committee “for the consolidation of the state of Palestine” following their Gaza ceasefire discussions.
The French leader revealed it “will contribute to the drafting of a new constitution, a draft of which President Abbas presented to me.”
Abbas reaffirmed his commitment to “reforms,” including “holding presidential and parliamentary elections after the end of the war.”
He added that “we are nearing completion of a draft of the provisional constitution of the state of Palestine and the laws on elections and political parties.”
The ceasefire faces ongoing challenges with recent Israeli strikes and Palestinian attack claims against Israeli soldiers.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack killed 1,221 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to AFP figures from Israeli data.
Israel’s military response has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health ministry figures considered reliable by the UN. – AFP
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