No ‘unilateral recognition’ of Palestinian state, Rubio tells French counterpart

Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state and national security advisor, told Jean-Noël Barrot, the French foreign minister, that Washington is strongly opposed to “any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state,” according to Tommy Pigott, the principal U.S. State Department deputy spokesman.

Recognizing a Palestinian state, which France plans to do, “would reward Hamas for Oct. 7 and hinder efforts to bring all hostages home,” Rubio told Barrot, per the U.S. readout of the Sept. 2 call.

The U.S. and French officials also talked about Russia and Ukraine, Iran, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pigott said.