Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
French President Emmanuel Macron and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Tuesday the creation of a joint committee tasked with drafting a constitution for the State of Palestine, marking a major step in France’s deepening engagement with the Palestinian cause following its recent formal recognition of Palestinian statehood.
The announcement came during Abbas’s official visit to Paris, where the two leaders met at the Élysée Palace to discuss the next steps in implementing the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as the framework for a post-war peace plan aimed at securing stability and governance in Gaza and the wider Palestinian territories.
According to a statement from the French presidency, the meeting focused on “security, governance, and reconstruction” in Gaza, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to working with Arab and international partners to prepare for the “day after”, the phase following the end of the Israeli military campaign that began in October 2023.
Paris Reaffirms Recognition of Palestine
The talks come several weeks after France’s official recognition of the State of Palestine during the UN General Assembly in New York, a move that positioned Paris at the forefront of European diplomatic efforts to reinvigorate the peace process.
During the meeting, President Macron reiterated France’s firm opposition to Israel’s settlement expansion and annexation plans in the occupied West Bank, calling such projects a “red line.”
“The violence of settlers and the acceleration of settlement construction have reached unprecedented levels that threaten the stability of the West Bank and constitute violations of international law,” Macron warned at a joint press conference, adding that France and its European partners “will respond strongly” if such actions continue.
President Abbas, for his part, renewed his pledge to carry out long-delayed political reforms and to hold general elections in the Palestinian territories. He stressed that the new constitution would serve as the foundation for a “democratic and sovereign Palestinian state based on the rule of law.”
Abbas Promises Extradition of Suspect in 1982 Paris Attack
The Palestinian leader also addressed a long-standing French judicial request, promising to extradite Hisham Harb, a 70-year-old Palestinian national arrested in the West Bank in September and suspected of involvement in the 1982 Rue des Rosiers terrorist attack in Paris that killed six people.
In an interview published in Le Figaro just hours before the meeting, Abbas said that “the legal procedures related to extradition are in their final stages, with only a few technical details remaining.” He added that France’s recognition of Palestine had “created an appropriate framework for this judicial cooperation.”
French officials confirmed that no legal obstacles remain, describing the matter as one of “procedural implementation.” The Élysée stated that both governments are working closely to finalize the transfer.
Harb is one of six men indicted by a French anti-terror court over the attack on Jo Goldenberg’s restaurant in the historic Jewish quarter of Paris. An international arrest warrant for him had been active for nearly a decade before his recent detention.
Post-War Gaza Governance and the Future of Hamas
In his remarks to Le Figaro and during the Paris talks, Abbas reiterated that Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza once the ceasefire takes hold. He said that Palestinian Authority forces were ready to deploy in the territory “in coordination with the multinational force” envisioned under the U.S. peace plan.
Abbas also confirmed his readiness to hold presidential and legislative elections “within a year after the end of the war,” though he did not commit to a specific date, suggesting the vote could take place in 2026.
A Diplomatic Shift in Europe’s Approach
Macron’s meeting with Abbas underscores a broader shift in European diplomacy toward a more proactive role in shaping the post-war political landscape in Gaza. French officials said the newly established joint constitutional committee would begin work “in close consultation with international partners” to lay out the legal and institutional framework of a future Palestinian state.
By hosting Abbas as the “President of the State of Palestine” and aligning with Arab partners on reconstruction and governance, France has signaled its intention to help translate recognition into tangible state-building measures a development that could mark a turning point in Europe’s engagement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
