By Tass

Copyright tass

PARIS, September 22. /TASS/. The Paris authorities have placed Palestinian and Israeli flags on the Eiffel Tower ahead of France’s recognition of Palestinian statehood.

As reported by a TASS correspondent, a screen has been installed at the first-tier level displaying the flags and a dove of peace between them. The tower itself is illuminated in white.

“Paris supports the initiative of French President [Emmanuel Macron] to recognize the State of Palestine. Paris reaffirms its commitment to peace, which, now more than ever, can only be achieved through the implementation of the two-state solution,” Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wrote on her Bluesky social media page, accompanying her message with a photo of the Eiffel Tower with the flags.

Macron announced that on September 22 he will hold a UN conference on the recognition of Palestine, regardless of ongoing hostilities in Gaza or other actions by Israeli authorities. On July 24, he stated that France intended to recognize Palestinian statehood during the UNGA session. According to the Elysee Palace, nine additional countries are expected to follow France’s lead at this event.

The situation in the Middle East sharply worsened after the penetration of armed Hamas supporters from the Gaza Strip into the Israeli territory on October 7, 2023, accompanied by the killing of residents of border settlements and the seizure of more than 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in the enclave with the aim of destroying the military and political structures of Hamas and freeing all the abductees.