Hamas must hand over its weapons, Mahmoud Abbas tells Emmanuel Macron in a letter
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Hamas must hand over its weapons and international forces could be posted in the Palestinian territories, in a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron a week ahead of a Saudi-French conference on a two-state solution, the French presidency said on Tuesday.
Mr Abbas condemned the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel, and called on all hostages to be released and pledges further reforms, the Elysee Palace said, ahead of a conference next week at which Paris could become the most prominent western power to back recognition of an independent Palestinian state.
The letter to Mr Macron, who is working on organising an international conference with Saudi Arabia to discuss recognition of Palestine, contains 'unprecedented' pledges, Mr Macron's office said, without elaborating.
'Hamas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces, which will oversee their removal outside the Occupied Palestinian territory, with Arab and international support,' the French leader's office quoted Mr Abbas as having written in the letter.
He said he was 'ready to invite Arab and international forces to be deployed as part of a stabilisation/protection mission with a (UN) Security Council mandate'.
The Elysse Palace said it welcomed 'concrete and unprecedented commitments, demonstrating a real willingness to move towards the implementation of the two-state solution'.
French officials have said Mr Macron is leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state ahead of the UN conference which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting from June 17-20.
Mr Macron has said he is 'determined' to recognise a Palestinian state, but also set out several conditions, including the 'demilitarisation' of Hamas.
The conference at UN headquarters will aim to resurrect the idea of a two-state solution – Israel currently controls large parts of the Palestinian territories.
The PA exercises limited self rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank but lost control of Gaza to its rivals Hamas since 2007. It has previously condemned Hamas for the attack that led to the Gaza war and has called for the militant group to be disarmed in a future settlement.
Israel has said it will not accept any role for the PA in Gaza after the war and has denounced countries that consider recognising Palestinian independence, which it says would reward Hamas for its attacks.
Yasser Arafat in 2004.
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