Recognizing a Palestinian state is the best way to isolate Hamas

(Patria) - French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that recognizing a Palestinian state would isolate the militant group Hamas and reiterated his condemnation of the devastating Israeli offensive in Gaza, Al Arabiya reported.

"Recognizing a Palestinian state is just a decision to say: 'The legitimate prospect of the Palestinian people and what they suffer today has nothing to do with Hamas'," Macron said in English in an interview with Israeli television Channel 12.

"Recognizing a Palestinian state is the best way to isolate Hamas."

France and the United Kingdom are among several Western countries that have pledged to formally recognize a Palestinian state this month at the United Nations General Assembly.

Their plan aims to marginalize Hamas and enable a two-state solution to the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict – a proposal that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted.

Given that Israeli settlers want to occupy Palestinian territory in the West Bank, Macron said it is now "the last moment before proposing that two states become completely impossible".

Israeli tanks and planes bombed the city of Gaza yesterday in a major ground offensive.

"This kind of operation in Gaza is completely counterproductive" and "a failure," Macron said.

"You are completely destroying the image and credibility of Israel, not only in the region, but also in public opinion everywhere."