Germany says Israel-Palestine peace needs more than 'nominal recognition’ while France argues timing

GENEVA

Peace between Israel and Palestine requires a "political solution" rather than "a nominal recognition," Germany said Wednesday, after three European countries decided to recognize a Palestinian state.

Speaking at a joint press conference along with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said "if the recognition could bring peace at the moment, then I think no politician, no person on Earth would have hesitated."

"But I have repeatedly said over these six months that in order to resolve this monstrous situation that we are now having to go through, we need a political solution, not a nominal recognition," Baerbock said.

Sejourne said he did not think that recognition of Palestine "would make a contribution now."

He underlined that France has repeatedly said that it would like recognition to contribute to a political solution to the conflict but added that "now is not such a moment."

Norway, Ireland and Spain announced Wednesday that they would recognize Palestine as a state as of May 28.

Their announcements came as Israel continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Palestine is already recognized by eight European countries: Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden and the Greek Cypriot administration.

More than 35,700 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 80,000 others injured since last October following an attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered it to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.