The conditions to officially recognise Palestine as a state have not yet been met, France's foreign minister said on Wednesday, after a group of other European states announced such a move in the hope that this will help bring peace to the region.
Israel Katz, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Stephane Sejourne on Wednesday in Paris © X
The conditions to officially recognise Palestine as a state have not yet been met, France's foreign minister said on Wednesday, after a group of other European states announced such a move in the hope that this will help bring peace to the region.
"This is not just a symbolic issue or a question of political positioning, but a diplomatic tool in the service of the solution of two States living side by side in peace and security", Stephane Sejourne said in a statement, adding:
"France does not consider that the conditions have yet been met for this decision to have a real impact on this process".
Norway will recognise an independent Palestinian state, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Wednesday while sources told Reuters Ireland and Spain would also announce the recognition.
Reporting by John Irish
In his first press conference since the outbreak of war against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out Thursday, on day 13 of the joint US-Israel offensive, a bold and explicit three-part war agenda that goes far beyond military strikes.
Israeli airstrikes hit a building in the heart of Beirut on Thursday and Israel ordered residents out of another swathe of southern Lebanon, intensifying its offensive against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Israeli strikes battered Beirut's southern suburbs late on Wednesday, lighting up the skyline with flashes of red and setting buildings on fire, after the Lebanese-armed group Hezbollah launched a volley of rockets into northern Israel.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.