Home » E3 Leaders Urge Gaza Ceasefire Amid Hunger Crisis

E3 Leaders Urge Gaza Ceasefire Amid Hunger Crisis

by TheReportingTimes

London/Paris/Berlin, July 26 — As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens, leaders of France, Britain, and Germany held an emergency call on Saturday to discuss urgent steps to address growing hunger and push for peace, even as French President Emmanuel Macron’s surprise move to recognise a Palestinian state triggered tensions among allies and drew sharp rebuke from the United States.

Macron announced that France would become the first major Western power to formally recognise Palestinian statehood, a decision he said he would present at the United Nations in September. The announcement has exposed divisions within the European trio, commonly referred to as the E3, over how to resolve the crisis and end the months-long Israel-Hamas war.

While all three leaders — Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — support the idea of a Palestinian state in principle, neither Germany nor the UK plans to follow France’s lead immediately.

Starmer, however, appeared to edge closer than his predecessors, stating: “Statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people.” He added that the three leaders were now focused on “what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need, while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace.”

In a joint statement released after the call, the E3 leaders declared, “The humanitarian catastrophe that we are witnessing in Gaza must end now.” The statement also reaffirmed their opposition to “all efforts to impose Israeli sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”

Meanwhile, ceasefire talks in Qatar appeared to stall as the United States and Israel withdrew their teams from negotiations. Former President Donald Trump, whose administration continues to influence Republican foreign policy, claimed Hamas “doesn’t want peace.”

The White House followed up with a strong rebuke of Macron’s move. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. “strongly rejects” France’s decision to recognise Palestine, calling it “reckless” and “a propaganda gift to Hamas.”

“The French president’s announcement only sets back peace efforts,” Rubio added, confirming that the U.S. would not participate in an upcoming UN conference aimed at reviving the two-state solution framework.

Despite the diplomatic strain, regional mediators Qatar and Egypt said there had been some progress in the latest round of Gaza truce talks. The suspension of negotiations, they noted, was part of routine consultation before resuming dialogue. Hamas also indicated that talks could resume next week.

As famine looms and political positions harden, the E3 face the dual challenge of bridging internal divisions and mounting a unified response to the escalating humanitarian tragedy in Gaza.

 

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