France, the United Kingdom and Canada used the United Nations General Assembly this week to press for recognition of Palestinian sovereignty, with French President Emmanuel Macron sharply condemning the international response to Israel's restrictions on aid to Gaza.
Macron delivered an impassioned address on Tuesday as Israeli forces reportedly killed at least three Palestinians in Gaza City, despite a US-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October. He highlighted the heavy toll in Gaza since October 2023, saying more than 73,900 people have died, including 1,399 recorded after the ceasefire began.
Recalling that France was among about a dozen countries that recognised a Palestinian state a year earlier, Macron challenged the credibility of the international community if it remains passive in the face of Gaza's suffering.
“Some boast of a supposed peace, but this peace hasn't reopened humanitarian routes for a single second. Must we stand by and watch this spectacle that shames us all?”
Macron also accused Israel of daily "violations" in the occupied West Bank and warned that arguments justifying Israel's security by violating neighbors' sovereignty are counterproductive and ultimately weaken Israel's long-term security.
His remarks came hours after the US president used the same UN platform to hail a Gaza peace plan; the White House dismissed Macron's criticism, saying no one had done more for peace and stability in the region.
Separately, Macron co-chaired a meeting at the UNGA on Palestinian statehood alongside (as reported) the UK prime minister, the Canadian prime minister and Saudi Arabia's foreign minister. Delegates from dozens of countries attended.
UK leader Andy Burnham warned that failing to deliver a viable two-state solution will further erode public trust in political leaders who have long promised action without delivering it.
“We all live in an era of low trust in politics. Many people in this room, many politicians around the world, have spoken for decades about a two-state solution. But if we fail to back those words with deeds, we will further corrode trust in the political, diplomatic and international process.”
Burnham said the UK has banned trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and criticised the planned E1 settlement project as a deliberate effort to block a two-state outcome by fragmenting the West Bank and severing it from East Jerusalem.
Canadian prime minister Mike Carney announced that Canada would provide 100 million Canadian dollars (about $71m) in aid to Palestinians to help preserve the possibility of a two-state solution. He said 80% of the funding would go to direct humanitarian assistance and 20% to initiatives that "support peace and security," including a multiyear Canadian effort to train Palestinian police in the occupied West Bank.
Carney described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as immense and reiterated concerns about Israeli settlement activity, saying Canada would introduce restrictions on goods produced in settlements. Canada was listed among 12 countries that have announced such trade restrictions.
Note: Names and titles quoted in original reports should be verified for accuracy before publication.
