French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that France will not open an embassy to a future Palestinian state until Hamas releases hostages held in Gaza.
Macron made the remark in an interview taped Thursday for CBS News’ Face the Nation and aired Sunday. “It will be, for us, a requirement very clearly before opening, for instance, an embassy in Palestine,” he said.
The interview came as the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada on Sunday recognized a Palestinian state in a coordinated shift in Western policy. The move drew swift anger from Israel amid mounting international pressure over its war against Hamas in Gaza and the territory’s severe humanitarian crisis.
Portugal was also set to recognize Palestinian statehood later Sunday, and France has said it will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations on Monday along with other countries.
Macron also warned against displacing Palestinians from Gaza in any rebuilding plans. “But if the precondition of such a plan is to push them out, this is just a craziness,” he said. “We should not be — for the credibility of the United States, for the credibility of France — we cannot be implicitly or explicitly complacent with such a project.”
Photo: French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a meeting with New Caledonia officials at the French High Commissioner’s residence in Noumea, May 23, 2024. (File photo)
