France, Jordan call for two-state solution to Gaza conflict

PARIS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron and King Abdullah II of Jordan on Friday called for a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

"The only viable solution to meet the security needs of the Israeli people and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people is the effective implementation of the two-state solution," Macron said at a joint press conference in Paris with King Abdullah II.

"The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo for France," Macron said. "We owe it to the Palestinians, whose aspirations have been trampled for too long. We owe it to the Israelis, who have lived through the greatest anti-Semitic massacre of our century. We owe it to a region that aspires to escape promoters of chaos and sowers of revenge."

Macron insisted that an Israeli military offensive at Rafah would result in "an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and would be a turning point" for the conflicts in Gaza.

"I share the fears of Jordan and Egypt of a forced and massive displacement of the population. This would be another serious violation of international law and a major risk of regional escalation," he said, reiterating that the absolute priority is "to obtain an agreement on a ceasefire" in Gaza.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah II said the two countries are working together to "put an end to this war and to deal with this humanitarian catastrophe."

"We need to find a political solution that leads to peace, based on the creation of two states. This is the only way to guarantee peace and security for the Palestinians, for Israel, and for the region," he underlined.