PARIS – JULY 2025 — A senior French official has firmly denied allegations that France, with the direct approval of President Emmanuel Macron, held covert discussions with Hamas beginning in 2020, according to a report aired Saturday by Israel’s N12 News.
The claims stem from a classified document allegedly obtained by Israeli defense officials in Gaza, which details a clandestine meeting held on October 16, 2020, in Doha, Qatar, between a high-ranking French intelligence representative and senior Hamas figures Mousa Abu Marzouk and Khaled Mashal.
According to the document, the French intelligence official—described as the third-highest-ranking figure in France’s intelligence apparatus—attended the meeting with a delegation and reportedly opened the dialogue by criticizing the U.S. approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I come here with President Macron’s approval,” the French official is quoted as saying in the document. “We, the French, are historically close to the Palestinian struggle. We want to speak not only with the Palestinian Authority, but also with you.”
The Hamas representatives responded by doubling down on their anti-Israel stance, claiming:
“Even if the international community supports the Zionist entity, be assured we will defeat it. This land is ours, and our resistance and revolution have continued for over a century. We will persist until victory.”
Notably, the report suggests no objection or condemnation of these remarks was recorded from the French delegation.
France: Accusations Are 'Baseless' and Politically Motivated
In response to the Channel 12 revelations, a French diplomat issued a strong denial, asserting that the story is “baseless” and aimed at undermining France’s diplomatic efforts toward a two-state solution.
“These unfounded accusations are apparently intended to weaken the legitimacy of our political engagement,” the official said, reiterating France’s position on Hamas.
“Hamas is a terrorist organization responsible for the most heinous antisemitic massacre of the 21st century. France remains committed to its permanent disarmament and exclusion from any political role in Gaza or elsewhere.”
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