Catherine Norris Trent

Civilians have borne an unbearable burden during the terrorist attacks of October 7 by Hamas and throughout the war that Israel continues in Gaza. At the same time, the prospect of a negotiated solution to the Middle East conflict seems to be receding. I am not giving up. The urgency is to realize the only viable solution that can meet the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, end terrorism and violence in all its forms, and allow Israel and all countries in the region to live in peace and security. That is the objective of the high-level international conference that France and Saudi Arabia will jointly lead at the United Nations on the peaceful resolution of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution. In this context, I am honored to confirm to you that, in light of the commitments you have made, France will proceed with the full recognition of Palestine as a State when I attend the United Nations General Assembly this coming September. In doing so, France intends to make a decisive contribution to peace in the Middle East and to rally all its international partners who wish to take part. Along the same lines, I will pay particular attention to the implementation of a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages still held by Hamas, the disarmament of the latter, and the strengthening of the Palestinian Authority throughout the Palestinian territories. In light of your commitments, I am counting on your determined action in favour of lasting peace between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and I ask you to accept, Mr. President, the expression of my highest considerations. (Handwritten, approximate translation): Yours, with my trust and my engagement for the peace and security of all, (illegible), Emmanuel Macron 2/2

Second half of English translation in Alt text

Paris, July 24th, 2025 Mr. President, By way of a letter dated June 9th 2025, you informed France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of the Palestinian Authority’s desire to end the war in Gaza through a just and lasting peace in the region, strongly reaffirming your support for the implementation of the two-state solution. You condemned the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, and called for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas, advocated for the disarmament of Hamas and its withdrawal from the governance of Gaza. You reaffirmed the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to fully assume its responsibilities across all Palestinian territories, including Gaza, to undertake profound reforms and to organise presidential and legislative elections in 2026 in order to restore its legitimacy and authority over the future Palestinian state, whose nature you asserted must not be militarised. I welcome these courageous commitments and, in return, reaffirm France’s mobilisation in favor of implementing the two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. This solution remains the only one capable of addressing the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians alike. It must now prevail and urgently so. 1/2

English translation in Alt text

“Peace is possible”

Emmanuel Macron says France will officially recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.

The French President is also calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Here is the official AFP tribune in English

Agence France-Presse on X: "⚫️ La Direction de l’AFP partage l’angoisse exprimée par la SDJ quant à la situation effroyable de ses collaborateurs dans la bande de Gaza. Depuis des mois nous assistons, impuissants, à la détérioration dramatique de leurs conditions de vie. Leur situation est aujourd’hui" / X ⚫️ La Direction de l’AFP partage l’angoisse exprimée par la SDJ quant à la situation effroyable de ses collaborateurs dans la bande de Gaza. Depuis des mois nous assistons, impuissants, à la détérioration dramatique de leurs conditions de vie. Leur situation est aujourd’hui

You’re welcome.
Here is the statement by AFP management if you need it:

x.com/afpfr/status...

The statement was published in full by the Société des Journalistes, or SDJ (Editorial Committee) of AFP on X.
It’s been backed by AFP management.
Here is the full statement in French, I translated it into English.

Since AFP was founded in 1944, we have lost journalists in conflicts, some have been injured, others taken prisoner. But none of us remember witnessing colleagues die of hunger".

— The outgoing Editorial Committee (Société de Journalistes, SDJ) of the AFP

Ahlam is still holding on. “I try to keep exercising my profession, to speak for the voiceless, to document the truth despite all the attempts to silence it. Here, resistance isn’t a choice: it’s a necessity.”
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This Sunday, Bashar wrote: “For the first time, I feel defeated.” Later that day, he said he would thank us “for explaining that we live day to day between death and hunger.” “I wish President Macron would help me get out of this hell.”
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For the past few days, we have only received very brief messages from them, when they have the strength to send any. Their courage, considered heroic by the rest of the world, is now their only hope of survival.

We may hear about their deaths at any moment, and this is unbearable.
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We are watching their situation get worse. They’re young but their strength is leaving them. Most are no longer physically able to get around the enclave to do their work. Their heartbreaking cries for help are now daily.

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Ahlam, located in the south of the enclave, is holding on “to testify” as long as she can. “Every time I leave the tent to cover an event, do an interview or document a story, I don’t know if I’ll come back alive.”

Her biggest issue, she confirms, is the lack of food and water.
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AFP no longer has the ability to provide them with a vehicle and there is not enough fuel to allow these journalists to travel for their reporting. Driving a car means becoming a target for Israeli airstrikes. AFP reporters therefore travel on foot or by donkey cart.
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Even though these journalists receive a monthly salary from AFP, it’s no longer enough to buy food, or they have to pay completely exorbitant prices. The banking system has collapsed, and those who exchange money via online bank accounts charge a commission of up to 40%.

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Since Feb, Bashar’s been living in the ruins of his home in Gaza City with his mother, 4 brothers & sisters and the family of one of his brothers. Their house is devoid of any furnishings, except a few cushions. On Sunday morning, he reported that one of his brothers had “fallen, due to hunger.”
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Bashar, 30, works & lives in the same conditions as all Gazans, moving from one refugee camp to another under Israeli bombings. For > a year he’s lived in utter destitution, working at extreme risk to his life. Hygiene is a major issue for him, with recurring bouts of severe intestinal illness.
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One of them, Bashar, has been working with AFP since 2010, first as a fixer, then freelance photographer, and since 2024, as lead photographer. On July 19th he managed to post a message on Facebook: “I no longer have the strength to work for the media. My body is thin and I can’t work anymore.”
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since its staff journalists left in 2024.

Along with a few others, they are now the only ones left to report what is happening in the Gaza Strip. The international press has been banned from entering the territory for nearly two years.

We refuse to watch them die.

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An unbearably sad statement from the Editorial Committee (SDJ) of the AFP news agency, please read:

"Without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die.
AFP has been working with 1 writer, 3 photographers and 6 videographers, all freelance, in the Gaza Strip… /1

Here's the link to our Haiti documentary, please watch:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3op...

Honoured to receive a Gold Award and the Audience Choice Special Award for our documentary Haiti: The Iron Grip of The Gangs at the World Media Festival in Berlin.
(filmed with Roméo Langlois and Jean Mendel)

We must keep Haiti in the headlines, the situation there is getting even worse.

Open letter: Our media colleagues in Gaza are in mortal danger and must be evacuated The editorial committees of FRANCE 24 and our sister station RFI are calling on French authorities to push for the evacuation of our colleagues (journalists, fixers, drivers) in Gaza. The editorial co...

www.france24.com/en/france/20...

Ekaterina told me of the painful decision to leave behind her 96 year-old mother, knowing she will probably never see her again. But she also has a son and grandson living in Kyiv, and hopes one day they will be able to meet for the first time in more than 3 years.

Fearing jail time, Ekaterina considered poisoning herself, but instead, with the help of RSF (Reporters Sans Frontières) and a network of volunteers, she sawed off her electronic tag, disguised herself, and fled through forests and over the border.

“Death is better than a Russian prison.” The words of Ekaterina Barabash, an exiled journalist I had the privilege to interview shortly after her extraordinary escape from house arrest in Moscow. She'd written Facebook posts denouncing Russia’s war in Ukraine and faced up to 10 years in prison.