Palestinian deputy leader meets French envoy on settler attacks
Al-Sheikh urged France to build on its recognition of Palestine, halt Israeli violations and provide international protection for Palestinians.
Hussein Al-Sheikh, Deputy Head of the State of Palestine, met French Special Envoy André Parant on Monday to discuss settler attacks and the situation in Gaza, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The talks centred on the latest developments in the Palestinian cause, as Gaza continues to suffer and settlers escalate attacks in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
The discussion covered attacks that have targeted Palestinian citizens and their property, as well as foreign solidarity activists who have come under attack while supporting Palestinians.
Al-Sheikh said the two sides also explored the political and on-the-ground conditions needed to hold upcoming legislative and presidential elections, with Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza taking part.
Al-Sheikh urged France to keep playing a political and diplomatic role in supporting Palestinian rights.
He called on Paris to build on its recognition of the State of Palestine by working to halt Israeli actions, providing international protection for Palestinians and turning international positions into practical steps.
He said these steps should help end the occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Laila Ghannam, a member of the Fatah Central Committee, outlined the situation on the ground in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza.
She said there was an ongoing cycle of killing, destruction and displacement, along with settler attacks and the denial of Palestinians' fundamental rights.
The meeting also included Théo Siberrodis, political counselor at the French Consulate General in Jerusalem, and Salomé Bataille, the French Foreign Ministry official in charge of the Palestine file.
The two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and joint cooperation, as well as how to support reform and the development of Palestinian state institutions.
France announced its recognition of the State of Palestine in 2025, a move that Palestinian officials have repeatedly urged Paris to back with concrete action.
