PARIS: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has said that Hamas 鈥渕ust hand over its weapons鈥� and called for the deployment of international forces to protect 鈥渢he Palestinian people,鈥� France announced on Tuesday.
In a letter addressed on Monday to French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who this month will co-chair a conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, Abbas outlined the main steps that he thinks must be taken to end the war in Gaza and achieve peace in the Middle East.
鈥淗amas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces,鈥� wrote Abbas.
He said he was 鈥渞eady to invite Arab and international forces to be deployed as part of a stabilization/protection mission with a (UN) Security Council mandate.鈥�
The conference at UN headquarters later this month will aim to resurrect the idea of a two-state solution 鈥� Israel currently controls large parts of the Palestinian territories.
鈥淲e are ready to conclude within a clear and binding timeline, and with international support, supervision and guarantees, a peace agreement that ends the Israeli occupation and resolves all outstanding and final status issues,鈥� Abbas wrote.
鈥淗amas has to immediately release all hostages and captives,鈥� Abbas added.
In a statement, the Elysee Palace welcomed 鈥渃oncrete and unprecedented commitments, demonstrating a real willingness to move toward the implementation of the two-state solution.鈥�
Macron has said he is 鈥渄etermined鈥� to recognize a Palestinian state, but also set out several conditions, including the 鈥渄emilitarization鈥� of Hamas.
In his letter, Abbas reaffirmed his commitment to reform the Palestinian Authority and confirmed his intention to hold presidential and general elections 鈥渨ithin a year鈥� under international auspices.
鈥淭he Palestinian State should be the sole provider of security on its territory, but has no intention to be a militarised State.鈥�
France has long championed a two-state solution, including after the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militants Hamas on Israel.
But formal recognition by Paris of a Palestinian state would mark a major policy shift and risk antagonizing Israel, which insists that such moves by foreign states are premature.