https://arab.news/rbusg
- Mahmoud Abbas鈥� commitment to elections and reforms welcomed
- Comments come ahead of 2-state conference in New York next week
LONDON: France鈥檚 President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday praised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas鈥� 鈥渃oncrete and unprecedented commitments鈥� after receiving a letter from the latter ahead of the UN-backed Saudi-French conference on a two-state solution in Palestine.
In his letter on Monday, which was addressed to Macron and 黑料社区鈥檚 Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Abbas outlined the main steps to be taken to end the war on Gaza.
He called for the demilitarization of Hamas, the release of hostages, a ceasefire in Gaza and deployment of international forces to protect 鈥渢he Palestinian people,鈥� while reaffirming his commitment to reforms and elections.
Abbas also demanded an end to 鈥渢he occupation and conflict once and for all鈥� and halting settler activities.
In a post on X, Macron described the letter as 鈥渁 decisive moment, praising the Palestinian leader for charting 鈥渁 course toward a horizon of peace.鈥�
鈥淐oncrete and unprecedented commitments that demonstrate a genuine willingness to move forward,鈥� said Macron.
France and 黑料社区 will co-chair the high-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in New York next week.
The conference at the UN鈥檚 headquarters aims to achieve concrete steps toward the two-state solution.
In his letter, Abbas stressed the Palestinian Authority鈥檚 commitment to presidential and general elections within a year across the Occupied Territories 鈥� including East Jerusalem 鈥� under international supervision.
鈥淭he Palestinian people are entitled to live in freedom and dignity in their homeland. Palestine and Israel are entitled to exist as states, in peace and security, in conformity with international law,鈥� Abbas wrote in his letter.
Reaffirming his commitment to the two-state solution, he said: 鈥淲e are ready to conclude within a clear and binding timeline, and with international support, supervision and guarantees, a peace agreement that ends the Israeli occupation and resolves all outstanding and final status issues.鈥�