The two presidents made their remarks during a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, following their bilateral talks, as part of an official visit that Abbas began on Monday evening, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Abbas said: "Given the unprecedented and difficult circumstances our region is going through, it is imperative to end the catastrophe that our Palestinian people are facing in the Gaza Strip, due to the crimes of genocide, destruction, starvation, and the dangers of displacement."
He called for an end to "Israeli violations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the occupation government's practices based on persecution, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, continued settlement activity and annexation, settler terrorism, attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites, and the withholding of Palestinian funds."
Abbas expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by US President Donald Trump to stop the war and achieve lasting peace, noting the active role of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey in establishing a ceasefire, releasing prisoners and detainees, and bringing in humanitarian aid.
The Palestinian president affirmed his aspiration to "move to the next stage of the agreement in the areas of governance," explaining that "the Palestinian Administrative Committee will take over the administration of Gaza, in conjunction with the deployment of Palestinian security forces supported by an international stabilization force, the handover of all weapons by armed factions, including Hamas, the withdrawal of the Israeli army, and the start of the reconstruction process."
He added that all Palestinian transitional institutions in Gaza "will be subordinate to the Palestinian Authority and its official institutions, including the crossings," stressing that the sector is "an integral part of the Palestinian state and its sovereignty."
Abbas indicated his commitment to all the reforms contained in the "New York Declaration" issued by the international conference to support the two-state solution, including "holding presidential and legislative elections within a year after the end of the war," stressing that the drafting of the "temporary constitution of the State of Palestine and the laws on elections and political parties" is nearing completion.
He explained that the new laws "obligate candidates to adhere to the political program of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the principles of international legitimacy, one state, and one legitimate weapon," stressing the progress in developing educational curricula according to UNESCO standards within two years, and establishing a unified social welfare system after abolishing the laws on allowances for the families of martyrs, prisoners, and the wounded.
Abbas also called on countries that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine to do so, stressing the need to respect Palestinian sovereignty and territorial integrity.
For two years, Israel committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, beginning on October 7, 2023, leaving more than 69,000 Palestinian martyrs, more than 170,000 wounded, massive destruction affecting 90% of civilian infrastructure, and a humanitarian catastrophe due to famine and difficulty accessing basic necessities. escalation by the Israeli occupation army and settlers since the start of the genocide in Gaza, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 1,069 Palestinians, the injury of about 10,700 others, the displacement of about 50,000, and the arrest of more than 20,500.
For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that annexation projects, whether "partial or total" or "de facto" through settlement in the occupied West Bank, represent a "red line," emphasizing that France and its European partners "will respond strongly" if they are implemented.
Macron said that "settler violence and the acceleration of settlement activity are reaching new record levels that threaten the stability of the West Bank and constitute a flagrant violation of international law," stressing the need to "organize free, transparent and democratic presidential and legislative elections in all Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem."
Macron and Abbas announced the formation of a joint French-Palestinian committee to prepare a constitution for the Palestinian state, which France recognized during the United Nations General Assembly last September, stressing that elections will be held a year after the transition to the second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, which includes the disarmament of Hamas.
On the financial front, Macron called on Israel to "transfer customs revenues owed to the Palestinian Authority and restore banking relations between Israeli and Palestinian institutions," stressing that "weakening the Palestinian Authority threatens an explosion of violence that will be difficult to contain."
For his part, Abbas renewed his commitment to "removing anti-Israel rhetoric from Palestinian school curricula and putting an end to the policy of disbursing allowances to prisoners convicted of acts of violence in Israel," stressing his readiness to implement all the required reforms within the framework of partnership with the international community.
This is Abbas's first visit to Paris since France recognized the State of Palestine, where he was received as "President of the State of Palestine".
For its part, the Israeli embassy in France expressed its displeasure with the visit, stating that the Palestinian Authority "has wasted many opportunities to achieve peace and rejected all American and Israeli initiatives to end the conflict."
On the bilateral level, Abbas announced his intention to hand over Palestinian Hisham Harb, who is detained in the occupied West Bank and wanted by French authorities on suspicion of involvement in the attack on Rue des Rosiers in Paris in 1982, noting in an interview with the newspaper “Le Figaro” that “the legal procedures have reached their final stages, and only some technical details remain to be dealt with by the competent authorities in both countries.”