Macron conditions the release of Gaza hostages for the opening of the French embassy in Palestine

In a striking statement reflecting a conditional diplomatic stance, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will not open an embassy in the State of Palestine until the complete release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Macron clarified in an interview with the American network "CBS" broadcast yesterday, Sunday, that "the release of the hostages is a clear condition before we establish an embassy."

Despite this condition, the French president affirmed that recognizing the State of Palestine is the only way to reach a lasting political solution, emphasizing Paris's commitment to the two-state option.

Macron's statements come at a time when pressures are mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after Britain, Canada, Australia, and Portugal announced their official recognition of the State of Palestine, which has drawn severe criticism from Tel Aviv and Washington.

Netanyahu described this step as a "reward for Hamas," and said in an angry statement:

"A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River... It will not happen."

He indicated that he would present the Israeli position during his upcoming visit to the United States, where he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

For their part, the families of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza for about two years expressed their anger at the decisions to recognize the State of Palestine, considering that this step "ignores the suffering of 48 hostages."

The forum of families of hostages and missing persons stated that "granting such political rewards without securing the return of all our loved ones represents a catastrophic failure that will harm the efforts to bring them home."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry described the successive recognitions of the Palestinian state as a "reward for Hamas," claiming that the movement's leaders themselves acknowledged that this recognition came as a result of the attacks on October 7, 2023.

Israel sees these moves as a threat to regional security, while the countries that recognized Palestine believe that Netanyahu's government is obstructing any prospect for a two-state solution due to its policies on settlement expansion and the ongoing war in Gaza.

While France has not yet announced its official recognition of the State of Palestine, diplomatic sources expect Paris to take this step soon, possibly during the United Nations General Assembly this week, thus joining the growing wave of international recognitions, especially from Commonwealth countries.

It is noteworthy that France, like Britain, is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, which gives its anticipated decision significant political and diplomatic importance in the international scene.