Arab countries will, for the first time, condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament at a U.N. ministerial meeting in New York early next week, in a move aimed at persuading more European nations to recognise a Palestinian state, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told weekly Le Journal du Dimanche.
“This will seal Hamas’s isolation. European countries will in turn confirm their intention to recognise the State of Palestine. Half already have, the others are considering it,” Barrot said, adding that Britain intends to do so and Germany may follow later.
Barrot said France and Saudi Arabia have coordinated the initiative and will present a post-war roadmap toward a two-state solution covering security, reconstruction and governance, aligned with the Abraham Accords.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said France would formally recognise Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 21, drawing criticism from Washington and Jerusalem. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday called premature recognition “counterproductive,” while Berlin said it has no short-term plans to follow suit.
Barrot said the European Commission will toughen its stance on Israel in coming weeks, demanding a halt to new West Bank settlements and to militarised policing of aid delivery. He also urged EU partners to push for lifting the financial blockade on the Palestinian Authority so it can receive €2 billion he says it is owed.