President Macron Will Take Firm Action If Israel Annexs West Bank

French President Emmanuel Macron. (Wikimedia Commons/IAEA Imagebank)

JAKARTA - President Emmanuel Macron warned Israel, France and its European counterparts would take firm action against any attempt to annex the West Bank which is a Palestinian territory.

This was conveyed when he received a state visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris, Tuesday.

President Macron stressed that every effort to annex the West Bank is a red line that will be responded to with firm action.

"The plan to partially or totally annex, both legal and de facto, is a red line that we will respond firmly to with our European partners," said President Macron, launching Euronews November 12.

"The violence of settlers and the acceleration of settlement projects reached new highs, threatening the stability of the West Bank and is a violation of international law," he said.

Meanwhile, President Abbas briefed his French counterpart on Israel's escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the continued expansion of colonial settlements, attacks by settlers, and attacks on Christian and Islamic holy sites, quoted from WAFA.

Earlier this month, the United Nations Agency for Assistance and Work for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported that Israeli colony violence in the West Bank recently rose to its highest level in more than a decade.

In a statement released on November 1, UNRWA said last month was the hardest month since the start of routine documentation of such incidents 12 to 13 years ago.

According to the agency, most of the attacks were concentrated during the olive harvest season, with Palestinian farmers facing attacks and denied access to their lands.

The incident threatened people's livelihoods amid rising armed attacks and intentional property burning.

The recently published UN agency report also highlighted the forced transfer of Palestinians taking place from their lands, particularly in the northern West Bank, including refugee camps Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams.

This transfer coincided with the expansion of the colony and demolition as well as the evacuation of houses, which caused the evacuation of hundreds of Palestinian families.