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French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday that the United Nations conference planned for next week in New York, aimed at advancing a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, has been postponed.
He cited logistical and security concerns as the reasons for the delay but assured that the event would take place “as soon as possible.” The postponement follows a series of unprovoked Israeli air strikes against Iran, which targeted around 100 sites including nuclear and military facilities, and resulted in the death of Iran’s armed forces’ chief of staff and nuclear scientists.
Macron had previously indicated in early June that he expected the conference to make progress towards the recognition of Palestine, though he had not provided specific details at the time. On Friday, he reaffirmed France’s firm commitment to recognising a Palestinian state “under any circumstances,” underscoring the country’s stance despite the current instability in the region.
The ongoing Gaza conflict was triggered by an attack from Palestinian group Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. This assault led to the deaths of 1,219 people in Israel, according to Israeli figures. Israel recently reported recovering the bodies of two hostages from southern Gaza, with 54 hostages still believed to be held in Gaza out of the 251 initially captured by Hamas. The Israeli military has stated that 32 of those hostages have died.
Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza reports that Israel’s military bombardment since then has killed at least 55,207 people, the majority of whom are women and children. The United Nations, and many other prominent and reliable organisations regard these casualty figures as very credible.
