Israel says recognition of Palestinian state will force 'unilateral actions' in response

JERUSALEM - Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Sunday that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would force Israel to take "unilateral actions", following announcements by several countries that they plan to take such a step.

"There have been talks about an initiative to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state... any attempt to do so unilaterally will only harm future prospects for a bilateral process and will push us for unilateral actions in response," Saar said.

During a press conference in Jerusalem with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, Saar added that such initiatives were "not constructive but counterproductive" and served "as a prize for Hamas terror".

Wadephul meanwhile said that a two-state solution was "the best chance for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security, and dignity".

He nonetheless added that it "must not be hindered either by the advancement of illegal settlement construction (by Israel) or by the premature recognition of a Palestinian state".

Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris might move to recognise a Palestinian state as early as June at a United Nations conference in New York.

"We must move towards recognition, and we will do so in the coming months," Macron told France 5 television in an interview.

Hamas, the Palestinian militant group whose October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, immediately welcomed the French leader's statement as an "important step".

Nearly 150 countries recognise a Palestinian state.

In May 2024, Ireland, Norway and Spain took the step to recognise a Palestinian state, followed by Slovenia in June.

Their moves were partly fuelled by concern over the high civilian death toll in Israel's devastating offensive in Gaza.