The armed group "Hamas" welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that France would recognize Palestine as a state, calling it a positive step towards achieving justice and self-determination for the Palestinian people, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
In a statement, the Islamist group called on other countries, especially in Europe, to follow France's example and reaffirmed its goal of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Last night, Macron said he would announce the recognition of Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September.
The move drew sharp criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials who say it would reward "Hamas" and undermine prospects for peace.
Israeli leaders have sharply criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to recognize the State of Palestine in September, AFP reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision "rewards terror" and poses an existential threat by providing a "springboard for the destruction" of Israel. "Let us be clear: the Palestinians do not seek to create a state alongside Israel, but to create a state in place of Israel", he added.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was equally blunt, saying "the Palestinian state will be a "Hamas" state, referring to the armed group that attacked Israel in 2023, triggering the current war in the Gaza Strip.
Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin, who is also the Minister of Justice, described the decision as “direct aid to terrorism“ and “a black page in the history of France“.
Defense Minister Israel Katz promised that Israel “will not allow the creation of a Palestinian state that would threaten (Israeli) security“.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich believes that this “gives Israel yet another reason“ to annex the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967, and “to put an end once and for all to the dangerous illusion of a terrorist Palestinian state“.
In On Wednesday, the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, backed a non-binding resolution calling on the government to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, thus annexing the territory, a long-standing claim by the Israeli far right.
Opposition figures also criticized Emmanuel Macron's decision in very harsh terms. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who is expected to run against Netanyahu in the 2026 elections, wrote in "Ex" that the French president's decision was a sign of "moral collapse" and that he "will be consigned to the oblivion of history".
Police officers were attacked yesterday at the "Checkpoint Charlie" tourist attraction in Berlin during a protest against Israel's policy in the Gaza Strip, police said, quoted by DPA.
According to initial reports More than 15 arrests were made, police spokesman Florian Nath said. Four police officers were injured.
The demonstrators accused Israel of starving the population of the Gaza Strip.
According to police, up to 300 people gathered at the former Cold War-era checkpoint. According to the spokesman, there were physical attacks on police officers. Bags of paint and eggs were thrown at them.
In addition, banned slogans such as "From the river to the sea - Palestine will be free" were repeatedly chanted, which police said calls for the destruction of Israel from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.