More than 100 former British and French diplomats have signed an open letter to France’s President Emmanuel Macron and the UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging urgent measures they say will press Israel to accept a Palestinian state. The letter accuses Israel of “erasure” of Palestine and describes policies as ethnic cleansing, asserting that the world increasingly does not view Israel as a genuine democracy.
The diplomats call for actions including suspending EU–Israel and UK–Israel agreements related to trade and partnership, banning arms transfers and bilateral military cooperation, and limiting trade connected to Israeli settlements. They also urge unrestricted humanitarian aid access to Gaza led by UN agencies and international NGOs, alongside access for journalists and diplomatic personnel. Additional proposals cited across reporting include measures aimed at settlement financing and construction, and consequences for those participating in property acquisitions tied to settlements.
France 24 reports that the letter emphasizes trade and arms restrictions as a central lever and highlights the letter’s significance as an “unprecedented” direct accusation. The Guardian details a broader set of proposed steps, framing them as enforcement of international legal decisions and pressure tools. Across outlets, the common thread is the public call for sanctions and aid-access guarantees.
