Israel and US condemn ‘reckless’ French decision to recognise Palestine, as Gaza talks break down

Washington: The United States and Israel have condemned a French decision to officially recognise Palestine as a state, as US-mediated negotiations to secure a ceasefire in Gaza broke down on Friday (AEST).

The US said it was sending its mediators home from Gaza negotiations in Qatar and blamed Hamas for the breakdown in talks. It said it would consider “alternative options” to rescue Israeli hostages and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Palestinians pray beside the bodies of those killed during an Israeli airstrike at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on Wednesday.Credit: Bloomberg

The collapse in talks comes at a critical time, with Israel under increasing global pressure amid reports from humanitarian groups of mass starvation and the mounting death toll of Palestinian civilians killed while seeking food and aid.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday (AEST) that France would officially recognise Palestine as a state from next month, as a way to secure lasting peace in the Middle East.

“The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population,” Macron said.

Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump’s US special envoy to the Middle East, during a dinner at the White House in July.Credit: Bloomberg

But Israel and the US reacted with anger. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision rewarded terror and “risks creating another Iranian proxy”, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said France’s decision was “reckless” and served Hamas propaganda.

Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital Doha, along with US officials, aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and a hostage release deal. But US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said overnight that negotiations had stalled, accusing Hamas of behaving selfishly.

“We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza,” Witkoff posted on X.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be co-ordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.

“It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza.”

The US exit followed Netanyahu recalling his negotiating team from Doha hours earlier.

Sticking point

The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place.

Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to that until Hamas gives up power, and disarms – a condition the militant group rejects.

Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, 1, is facing life-threatening malnutrition. Having dropped from nine to six kilograms, he struggles to survive in a tent in Gaza City, where milk, food and other basic necessities are lacking.Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images

Speaking at a ceremony on Friday (AEST), Netanyahu said Israel would not give in to the demands of terrorists.

“If Hamas understands our readiness to reach a deal as weakness, as an opportunity to dictate terms of surrender to us that will endanger Israel, it is greatly mistaken,” he said, according to The Times of Israel. “We are determined to achieve all the aims of the war.”

Trump has frequently expressed optimism about a ceasefire in Gaza despite a previous truce, implemented at the end of the Biden administration, collapsing in March.

Australia recently joined a coalition of 28 nations, including Canada, France and Italy, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, and condemning Israel over the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians seeking aid.

The war-torn territory recently had its deadliest day yet for aid seekers in more than 21 months of war, with at least 85 Palestinians killed while trying to reach food on Sunday.

Major news organisations have also said their contributing reporters in Gaza are starving. In a joint statement this week, the BBC and wire services AP, AFP and Reuters called on Israel to allow foreign journalists in and out of Gaza and to ensure adequate food supplies reached the people there.

The United Nations World Food Program said the hunger crisis in Gaza had reached “new and astonishing levels of desperation”, with nearly one in three people without food for days.

At a press briefing in Washington, State Department spokesman Thomas Pigott did not answer questions about what Witkoff meant by “alternative options” to bring home hostages and improve the situation in Gaza.

“The question has never been our commitment to a ceasefire. The question has been Hamas’ commitment to a ceasefire,” he said.

Macron, one of the Western leaders who has been most critical of Israel, said on Friday (AEST) that France would officially recognise Palestine as a state.

In a letter to Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, Macron said he would make the announcement at September’s meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

The PA is the governing body that exercises limited control over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as opposed to militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.

“A ceasefire must be implemented immediately, all hostages must be released, and massive humanitarian aid must reach the residents of Gaza,” Macron said. “The disarmament of Hamas must also be ensured, the Gaza Strip must be secured, and it must be rebuilt.

“Finally, the State of Palestine must be established, ensuring its ability to thrive, provided it agrees to be unarmed and to fully recognise Israel, contributing to the security of all in the Near East.”

With AP, Reuters

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