The Albany Gazette - Macron warns any planned West Bank annexation a 'red line'

He spoke as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visited Paris one month into a fragile truce between Hamas and Israel, following two years of war triggered by the militant group's October 7, 2023 attack against Israel.

Abbas, 89, is the longtime head of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited control over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and is being considered to possibly assume governance in Gaza under the deal.

Macron, whose country in September recognised a Palestinian state, warned against any Israeli plans for annexation in the West Bank following an uptick in violence in the Palestinian territory.

"Plans for partial or total annexation, whether legal or de facto, constitute a red line to which we will respond strongly with our European partners," Macron said at a joint press conference with Abbas.

"The violence of the settlers and the acceleration of settlement projects are reaching new heights, threatening the stability of the West Bank and constitute violations of international law," the French president said.

Violence in the West Bank has soared since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.

At least 1,002 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the start of the war in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

During the same period, 43 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank, according to official Israeli figures.

- Constitutional committee -

Following their meeting to discuss the next steps after the Gaza ceasefire, Macron and Abbas announced the creation of a joint committee "for the consolidation of the state of Palestine", the French leader said.

It "will contribute to the drafting of a new constitution, a draft of which President Abbas presented to me".

Abbas renewed his commitment to "reforms", including "holding presidential and parliamentary elections after the end of the war".

"We are nearing completion of a draft of the provisional constitution of the state of Palestine and the laws on elections and political parties," he added.

Under US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan, an international security force drawn from Arab and Muslim allies would stabilise Gaza as Israeli troops withdraw, while a transitional authority would take over the territory's administration from Hamas until the Palestinian Authority has carried out reforms.

Trump said last week he expected an International Stabilisation Force tasked with monitoring the ceasefire to be in Gaza "very soon".

Last month's ceasefire has been tested by fresh Israeli strikes and claims of Palestinian attacks on Israeli soldiers.

Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

The Israeli military's retaliatory campaign has since killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

(O.Garcia--TAG)