Hamas condemns US envoy’s call to displace Palestinians to France

Hamas strongly condemned remarks made by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who suggested that a Palestinian state be established on part of French territory — an apparent response to France’s support for recognising a Palestinian state, the Palestinian Information Centre reported.

In an official statement issued yesterday, Hamas described Huckabee’s comments as a “blatant mockery” of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people and a “flagrant violation” of international law and UN resolutions.

“These remarks reaffirm the US’s complete bias toward the Zionist occupation and its expansionist colonial agenda,” the statement read.

In an interview with Fox News published on Saturday, Huckabee said that there is ‘no such thing as an occupation’ when it comes to the Palestinian territories, and that ‘if France is really so determined to see a Palestinian state [it can] carve out a piece of the French Riviera.’

Hamas added that Huckabee’s “disgraceful” statement shamelessly embraces the narrative of the fascist Israeli occupation, which denies the rights of the Palestinian people to their land and holy sites. It also warned that such rhetoric provides political cover for the crimes of the Israeli government, particularly its ongoing campaign of genocide and forced displacement.

Hamas called on the international community and the United Nations to take a firm stance in support of the Palestinian people’s legitimate struggle for freedom, self-determination, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on their homeland.

The statement follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement in April that France may recognise the State of Palestine this month.