Israel / Palestinian Territories
Settlements (March 26, 2024)

France strongly condemns the announcement by the Israeli authorities that they have seized nearly 2,000 acres of land in the Occupied West Bank. This is Israel’s largest land seizure in the Palestinian Territories since the Oslo accords.

We also condemn the ongoing settler violence against Palestinian populations in the West Bank.

The pursuit of the settlement policy constitutes a serious violation of international law – specifically UN Security Council Resolution 2334 and the Fourth Geneva Convention. Some of these actions are also covered by the Rome Statute.

As President Macron told the Israeli Prime Minister yesterday, the first steps have been taken on the national and European level against settlers who have committed acts of violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

Q&A

What is France’s response to the report presented by the UN special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories in which she finds “reasonable grounds” for believing that Isarel has committed several “acts of genocide”?

With regard to the characterization of genocide, I refer you to our previous statements. The matter is before the International Court of Justice.

Our demands regarding the respect of international humanitarian law are well known. President Macron reminded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of those demands during their last telephone conversation.

We reiterate that Ms. Albanese does not speak on behalf of the United Nations system.

In the past, we have been concerned by some of her problematic public positions and her rejection of the anti-Semitic nature of the October 7th terrorist attacks.