French officials held discreet talks with Hamas leaders – report

Senior French political and diplomatic figures recently held meetings with leaders of Hamas in a Middle Eastern country, according to a report in the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat.

The French delegation reportedly included current and former senior diplomats as well as parliamentarians from both the governing coalition and the opposition. According to the report, the meetings took place “recently” in an unnamed Middle Eastern country and were conducted discreetly.

If confirmed, the consultations would represent the first known meetings between Hamas leaders and officials linked to a European government since the terrorist organization's Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel.

Asharq Al-Awsat cited two Palestinian officials as sources for the report. One was described as belonging to a civil society organization with extensive contacts among European governments, while the other was said to be affiliated with an organization that maintains close ties to Hamas.

Both sources said the meetings were kept secret and that many Palestinian factions learned about them only after they had taken place.

According to the report, discussions focused primarily on internal Palestinian affairs, including reconciliation efforts between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, as well as broader efforts to end the decades-long conflict with Israel.

Participants also discussed the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state within “the 1967 borders,” referring to territories controlled by Egypt and Jordan before the Six-Day War in 1967.

France has emerged as one of the strongest European advocates of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In September 2025, Paris extended diplomatic recognition to a Palestinian state.

At the same time, France has become increasingly critical of Israeli policies during the Gaza war. The reported meetings with Hamas leaders came just weeks after France's National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) announced it was opening an investigation related to the treatment of activists involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla's attempt to breach Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.

Several activists accused Israel of committing acts of "torture and war crimes" while they were briefly detained by Israeli security personnel.

Their allegations were accompanied by a widely circulated video published by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showing the activists being brought to Ashdod Port after Israeli forces intercepted their vessels.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot referred the matter to the national prosecutor's office in Paris, leading to the opening of the investigation.