PARIS, June 18, 2026 (WAFA) – The City of Paris on Thursday granted honorary citizenship to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, as well as Palestinian journalists working in conflict zones across the Middle East, in an act of peace amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Speaking during a meeting of the Paris City Council attended by Palestinian Ambassador to France Hala Abu Hassira, Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said the honorary citizenship designation was more than a symbolic gesture, describing it as a political and moral commitment to peace.
In a statement, the Paris municipality said the decision comes as conditions in Gaza and the West Bank continue to deteriorate, with Palestinian civilians facing growing risks, particularly journalists working under extremely dangerous circumstances due to ongoing military operations, movement restrictions, and shortages of essential resources.
The statement noted that journalism in the Palestinian territories faces increasing challenges, citing the deaths of around 252 journalists and media workers in the Middle East since October 2023, the majority of them Palestinians. It also pointed to a significant deterioration in working conditions caused by power and internet outages and shortages of basic supplies.
The municipality further highlighted the humanitarian situation in Gaza, describing it as one of the deadliest periods in the territory’s modern history amid the continuation of the Israeli military aggression since October 2023.
According to official figures cited in the statement, the war has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, including thousands of children, while the effects of the blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007 continue to deepen the crisis.
The Paris City Council said the decision to grant honorary citizenship represents a symbolic act of solidarity with Palestinian civilians and journalists working in conflict areas, amid a growing erosion of humanitarian and media protections in the region.
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