A United Nations conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia aimed at forging a roadmap towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed after Israel launched a military attack on Iran, two sources said on Friday.
Emmanuel Macron © Mena Today
A United Nations conference co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia aimed at forging a roadmap towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed after Israel launched a military attack on Iran, two sources said on Friday.
A Western diplomatic source in Riyadh said the Saudi-French conference would be postponed, partly because of the strikes on Iran. A second source familiar with the situation said some delegations from the Middle East would not, or could not, come because of the developments.
France and Saudi Arabia had been set to host the high-level gathering between June 17-20 in New York, aiming to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security.
President Emmanuel Macron, who had been set to attend on June 18, has previously suggested France could recognise a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territories at the conference, a move opposed by Israel.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration sent a diplomatic cable earlier this week to discourage governments around the world from attending the conference, according to a U.S. cable seen by Reuters.
Saudi Arabia's government media office did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. France's foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.
Macron is scheduled to hold a press conference later on Friday, where he is expected to talk about the Israeli strike on Iran and the situation in the Middle East.
The postponement of this conference is a blow to the French president. With no political influence at home and no power since he dissolved the National Assembly a year ago, he is trying to boost his image on the international stage.
His initiatives, however, are not meeting much success.
Reporting by John Irish in Paris and Pesha Magd in Riyadh
Israel's military chief has pushed back against Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to seize areas of Gaza it doesn't already control, three Israeli officials said, as the prime minister faces increasing pressure over the war both at home and abroad.
Iran executed a man on Wednesday convicted of spying for Israel and passing on information about a nuclear scientist killed in Israel's June attacks on the Islamic Republic, the judiciary's news outlet Mizan reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met senior security officials to finalise a new strategy for the nearly two-year war in Gaza, his office said on Tuesday, with media reporting he favoured a complete military takeover of the Strip.
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.