- Sputnik International, 1920
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

France Ready to Recognize Palestine as State, But Only When 'It Will Be Useful' - Macron

© AP Photo / Ludovic MarinFrench President and centrist candidate for reelection Emmanuel Macron gestures during the evening news broadcast of French TV channel TF1, in Boulogne-Billancourt, outside Paris, Wednesday, April 13, 2022
French President and centrist candidate for reelection Emmanuel Macron gestures during the evening news broadcast of French TV channel TF1, in Boulogne-Billancourt, outside Paris, Wednesday, April 13, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 29.05.2024
Subscribe
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Paris is ready to recognize Palestine as a state, but only when "it will be useful," French President Emmanuel Macron told a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
"I am fully prepared to recognize the state of Palestine, but I believe that this recognition must come at a time when it is useful. I will not recognize it led by 'emotions,'" Macron told the press conference, broadcast by the Elysee Palace on X on Tuesday.
The French president added that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is a priority now. He also expressed the need for Israel to end the ongoing military operation in the city of Rafah.
Until this Tuesday, Palestine was recognized by nine EU member states. Eight countries — Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia — recognized it in 1988 before joining the European Union, while Sweden did the same in 2014. Spain, Norway and Ireland officially recognized Palestine as a state earlier on Tuesday.
Countries Recognize Palestine - Sputnik International, 1920, 25.05.2024
Multimedia
Which Countries Recognize Palestine?
On Sunday, Israel struck a refugee camp northeast of Rafah. The Palestinian civil defense service said that at least 40 people died and dozens were injured as a result. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the airstrike on the refugee camp a "tragic incident," adding that an investigation is underway. The Israel Defense Forces said that it used "precise munitions."
Israel sent troops into the city of Rafah on May 7, seven months after an attack by Palestinian movement Hamas on Israeli territory unleashed the worst escalation of conflict in the Gaza Strip in decades. Israel's war cabinet vowed to expand the operation in Rafah until it accomplished its declared goal of eliminating all Hamas fighters.
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала