Israel today formalized its opposition to what it described as “unilateral recognition” of Palestinian statehood and said any such agreement must be reached through direct negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted the “declaratory decision” to the cabinet, which unanimously approved the measure, according to a statement.
At the start of the weekly meeting, Netanyahu said the move comes after “recent discussions in the international community about an attempt to unilaterally impose a Palestinian state on Israel.”
The official Israeli statement, according to Netanyahu’s office, reflected that: “Israel completely rejects international imperatives regarding a permanent agreement with the Palestinians. An agreement, if reached, should be concluded only through direct negotiations between the parties, without conditions.”
“Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition after the October 7 carnage would provide a huge, unprecedented reward to terrorism and prevent any future peace agreement.”
Macron-Sisi joint appeal against an attack on Rafa
French President Emmanuel Macron and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi expressed “their firm opposition” to the possibility of an Israeli attack on Rafah, as well as “to any forced displacement of populations” to Egypt, which would constitute a violation of international humanitarian law. of law”, according to a press release issued today by the Élysée.
The two leaders, who had a telephone conversation yesterday, “expressed their strong opposition to an Israeli attack on Rafah, which would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe of a new magnitude, as well as to any forced displacement of populations into Egyptian territory, which would constituted a violation of international humanitarian law and would carry the additional risk of a regional escalation.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is determined to launch a ground assault on Rafah, home to 1.4 million Palestinians, despite calls from a section of the international community.
Macron and Sisi expressed their “very great concern at the worsening of the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the obstacles to the distribution of aid.”
They underlined “the urgent need to drastically increase aid inflows to the people of Gaza.”
“It is imperative to maintain the Rafah crossing, to open the Ashdod port, a direct land route from Jordan, as well as all border crossings,” the two leaders demand.
In addition, they insisted “on the urgent need to achieve a ceasefire and the release of the hostages”, calling on the United Nations Security Council to “play its role in this direction”.
The presidents of France and Egypt noted, in addition, “the need to work for an exit from the crisis and the decisive and irreversible re-promotion of the political process, in the direction of an effective implementation of the two-State solution”.
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