France, Canada and Britain have reaffirmed their strong support for the establishment of a Palestinian state during a session of the UN General Assembly. On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed deep indignation, describing Israel’s ongoing blockade of aid to Gaza and the suffering of civilians as an utter disgrace to the entire world. Despite the announcement of a so-called ceasefire brokered by the US, barbaric attacks by Israeli forces on the besieged enclave continue. News agency AP reported this development.
In his address, Macron noted that a dozen nations, including France, had recognized Palestine as a state a year ago. However, he asserted that the international community would lose all credibility if it remained passive in the face of the ongoing carnage in Gaza. Pointing out that no avenues for delivering humanitarian aid had been opened even after the declared ceasefire, he asked whether the world would simply stand by and watch this shameful spectacle. Strongly criticizing Israel’s occupation and aggression in the West Bank, he warned that Israel could never ensure lasting security by violating the sovereignty of its neighbors.
On the sidelines of the session, a high-level meeting regarding the roadmap for establishing an independent Palestinian state was held, jointly initiated by France, Britain, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. Addressing world leaders at the meeting, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned that if the commitment to a two-state solution remained merely rhetorical, public confidence in the political system would vanish. He announced that Britain had already imposed a ban on importing goods from illegal settlements in the West Bank, citing these settlements as an attempt to fragment Palestinian territory.
