US Secretary of State says that France’s announcement that it would recognize a Palestinian state led to a breakdown in hostage-ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas and emboldens the Palestinian terror group.
“Talks with Hamas fell apart on the day [French President Emanuel] Macron made the unilateral decision that he’s going to recognize the Palestinian state,” Rubio says in an interview with the Catholic Eternal Word Television Network.
“And then you have other people come forward, other countries say, ‘well, if there is not a ceasefire by September, we’re going to recognize a Palestinian state.’ If I’m Hamas, I’d basically conclude let’s not do a ceasefire, we can be rewarded, we can claim it as a victory,” Rubio says.
“So those messages, while largely symbolic in their minds, actually have made it harder to get peace and harder to achieve a deal with Hamas,” Rubio says.
“Talks with Hamas fell apart on the day Macron made the unilateral decision that he’s going to recognize the Palestinian state … So those messages, while largely symbolic in their minds, actually have made it harder to get peace and harder to achieve a deal with Hamas. ” —… pic.twitter.com/Xt74bu7umF
— Department of State (@StateDept) August 8, 2025