France’s top diplomat Stephane Sejourne said Sunday he rejects the “forced displacement” of Palestinians into Egypt from the Gaza Strip, where Israeli bombardment has pushed hundreds of thousands against the border.
At the start of his first Middle East tour as foreign minister, Sejourne addressed his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in a joint press conference, acknowledging Cairo’s concern “over forced displacement into your territory.”
“We perfectly understand these concerns, and on this point, France’s position remains the same: we condemn and will reject any action taken in this direction,” he continued.
Sejourne said he told Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday of France’s desire “for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and restarting talks for a … two-state solution,”.
Asked about France’s plans to recognize a Palestinian state, the minister said the step would mark “the finalization of a political process.”
That process, he said, “must lead to this, that’s the logic.”
“The whole question is when, at what moment and under what conditions,” he continued, adding that Gaza would be “attached to the future Palestinian state.”
