France’s Foreign Ministry has rejected US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s accusation that Paris’ recognition of Palestinian statehood undermined Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations.
Responding via its official X account French Response, the ministry wrote, “No, @SecRubio, the recognition of the State of Palestine did not cause the breakdown of hostage negotiations.” The post included a thread contrasting timelines—showing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s post about the failure of Gaza talks on July 24 at 3:54 pm, hours before French President Emmanuel Macron announced recognition of Palestinian statehood at 9:16 pm the same day.
Macron’s statement stressed that Hamas must be disarmed and excluded from Gaza’s governance, countering Rubio’s claim that recognition emboldened the militant group.
The exchange escalates tensions after Rubio denounced France’s move as “reckless”, arguing it only bolstered Hamas propaganda and dishonoured victims of the October 7 attack. He reiterated last week that Hamas abandoned negotiations immediately after France’s announcement, The Hill reported.
Macron confirmed in July that France would formally recognise Palestine during this month’s United Nations General Assembly, with countries including Australia, Canada, Portugal, and the UK expected to follow. Belgium has also urged recognition while calling for sanctions against Israel.
On Tuesday, Macron announced that France and Saudi Arabia will co-host a conference on September 22 in New York to rally global backing for a Two-State Solution. He also criticised the US decision to deny visas to Palestinian officials, calling it “unacceptable” and urging Washington to uphold the Host Country Agreement to ensure Palestinian participation.
