Middle East. France says it remains "determined" to quickly recognize a State of Palestine

Paris is "determined" to recognize a State of Palestine , the head of French diplomacy stressed on Tuesday, repeating that it was in the interest of the Palestinians and the Israelis.

"We cannot leave the children of Gaza a legacy of violence and hatred. So all this must stop, and that is why we are determined to recognize the State of Palestine," Jean-Noël Barrot declared on France Inter.

"And I am working actively on this because we want to contribute to a political solution in the interests of the Palestinians but also for the security of Israel," he added.

This recognition is expected to take place at the international conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia to relaunch a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, known as a "two-state" solution, which will be held from June 17 to 20.

The French minister insisted that the situation in Gaza was "unbearable because the blind violence and the blocking of humanitarian aid by the Israeli government have turned Gaza into a death trap, not to say a cemetery."

"This is an absolute violation of all rules of international law," he denounced. "And it is contrary to the security of Israel, to which France is committed, because those who sow violence reap violence," he further reacted.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized a limited amount of humanitarian aid after more than two and a half months of a complete blockade of the small Palestinian territory, which is facing a catastrophic humanitarian situation.

After recalling tens of thousands of reservists, Israel launched a broad offensive across the entire Gaza Strip on Saturday, with the stated aim of annihilating Hamas and recovering the hostages taken on the first day of the war, October 7, 2023, during the unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement.