France on Monday (July 28, 2025) called on the European Union to pressure Israel to agree to a two-state solution with the Palestinians, the latest escalation from France as it seeks an end to the deadly Gaza war days after pledging to recognize Palestine as a state.
Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Foreign Minister, told reporters at the United Nations that while there is international consensus that the time for a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is now, world powers need to back up their words with actions.
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“The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, has to express its expectations and show the means that we can incentivise the Israeli government to hear this appeal," he said.
Barrot spoke on the first day of a high-level UN meeting on a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is being co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia.
