PARIS, October 9, 2025 (WAFA) – French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday that the accelerating expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank poses an existential threat to the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling it a violation of international law and a driver of rising tensions and violence in the region.
His remarks came during the opening of a conference in Paris bringing together Arab and European foreign ministers to discuss the future of Gaza following the announcement of the ceasefire agreement.
Macron stressed the need to unify the West Bank and Gaza under the administration of the Palestinian Authority as part of a clear transitional phase, aligning with efforts to restore stability and support a two-state solution.
He also called for the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from any future political role, arguing that only a unified and legitimate Palestinian leadership could move forward with state-building efforts.
The French president affirmed that the future governance of Gaza should be in the hands of Palestinians themselves, in a way that respects their right to self-determination and moves toward the creation of a Palestinian state, in line with the U.S. vision.
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