French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a stern warning to Israel, declaring any plans to annex the West Bank a "red line" that would provoke a strong European response. This significant diplomatic move came during a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris, where both leaders also announced the creation of a joint committee to draft a constitution for a future Palestinian state.
President Macron delivered a clear warning to Israel regarding its actions in the West Bank. He stated that any plans for "partial or total annexation, whether legal or de facto, constitute a red line to which we will respond strongly with our European partners" . He strongly condemned the "violence of the settlers and the acceleration of settlement projects," which he described as "reaching new heights, threatening the stability of the West Bank and constitute violations of international law" . This meeting occurred in the context of France's formal recognition of a Palestinian state in September 2025, aligning it with several other Western nations .
A key outcome of the Paris meeting was the commitment to work jointly on the foundational structures for a Palestinian state. Macron and Abbas announced the creation of a "joint committee for the consolidation of the state of Palestine" . This committee's primary task will be to "contribute to the drafting of a new constitution," for which Abbas has already presented a draft . Furthermore, France committed $100 million for humanitarian aid in Gaza this year . President Abbas renewed his commitment to reforms, including "holding presidential and parliamentary elections after the end of the war" .
The high-level diplomatic discussions are set against a backdrop of intensifying violence and tragedy in the region. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 1,002 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since the war in Gaza began in October 2023 . During the same period, official Israeli figures state that 43 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank . A UN report highlighted that October 2025 saw at least 264 settler attacks against Palestinians, the highest monthly total since the UN began tracking such incidents in 2006 .
This meeting signals a significant shift in European diplomacy. Macron's unequivocal "red line" warning, coupled with concrete support for Palestinian state-building, represents a substantial political move. This development occurs alongside a fragile US-brokered truce that has paused two years of devastating war in Gaza . The push for a Palestinian constitution and elections aims to unify Palestinian governance, with the Palestinian Authority being considered to assume administration of Gaza after the war, presenting a political alternative .