France rebukes world over Gaza as Canada, UK back Palestinian state at UNGA

France, Canada and the United Kingdom have called for Palestinian sovereignty at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with French President Emmanuel Macron condemning the world’s failure to act against Israel’s restrictions on aid to Gaza as shameful.

Macron’s impassioned address on Tuesday came as Israeli forces killed at least three Palestinians in Gaza City despite a “ceasefire” brokered by the United States in October. More than 73,900 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s genocidal war began in October 2023, including 1,399 since the “ceasefire” took effect.

In his speech to UNGA in New York, Macron noted that France was among a dozen countries that recognised a Palestinian state a year ago. But he asked: “What credibility do we have if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza?”

“Some boast of a supposed peace, but this peace hasn’t reopened humanitarian routes for a single second,” he said, adding: “Must we stand by and watch this spectacle that shames us all?”

Macron also criticised what he called Israel’s daily “violations” in the occupied West Bank.

“All those who claim that Israel’s security depends on violating the sovereignty of all its neighbours are making a fatal mistake, weakening Israel’s security for today and tomorrow and threatening it,” he warned.

Macron addressed UNGA hours after United States President Donald Trump from the same rostrum ⁠hailed his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic triumph. The White House dismissed Macron’s criticism, saying no one has done more for peace and stability in the region than Trump.

Separately, Macron, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Canadian Prime Minister Mike Carney and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud chaired a meeting at UNGA on Palestinian statehood.

Burnham told delegates from dozens of countries that failure to deliver a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will undermine faith in politicians who have talked about the issue but have not taken action.

“We all live in an era of low trust in politics. Many people in this room, many politicians around the world, have spoken for decades about a two-state solution,” he said. “But if we fail to back those words with deeds, we will further corrode trust in the political, diplomatic and international process.”

Burnham added that the UK has banned trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law. He described Israel’s E1 settlement project as “a deliberate attempt to block a two-state solution”. The project would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, fragmenting the land Palestinians hope will form the heart of a future state.

Carney, meanwhile, announced that Canada would give 100 million Canadian dollars ($71m) in aid to Palestinians to preserve “the possibility of a two-state solution”.

He said 80 percent of the funding will go towards direct humanitarian aid while the remaining 20 percent will be allocated to “support peace and security”, including Canada’s multiyear initiative to train Palestinian police in the West Bank.

Carney said Palestinians in Gaza continued to endure “immense human suffering” while Israelis faced “existential threats from Hamas and from Iran and its proxies”. He also criticised the E1 settlement project and said Canada intended to introduce restrictions on goods produced in West Bank settlements.

Canada is among 12 countries that have announced such trade restrictions.