UK and France discuss recognition of Palestine. Oman, Saturday's Iran-US talks postponed

The UK is in dialogue with France and Saudi Arabia to consider formal recognition of the Palestinian state, ahead of an international conference scheduled for June. The aim is to reactivate the political process towards atwo-state solution in the Middle East. This was confirmed by the British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, speaking in the House of Lords International Relations Committee. This is the first time London has publicly admitted consultations with Paris on a possible coordinated recognition.

According to Lammy, the UK only intends to take this step if it can have a real impact and not just a symbolic one, unlike other recent recognitions by European countries which, he said, 'have not produced concrete effects'. He went on to emphasise that the government's position has always been in favour of recognition within a structured negotiation process. French President Emmanuel Macron also hinted, after a trip to Egypt, that France could make its recognition official at the June conference, paving the way for the first such gesture by a G7 member.

While international diplomacy looks at the future of the Middle East,Israel is grappling with a severe internal emergency: dozens of forest fires are ravaging the hills around Jerusalem. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported the arrest of 18 people suspected of setting the fires, one of whom was caught in the act. Netanyahu spoke of 'extensive damage to nature and the population', calling the situation 'extremely complex'.

Meanwhile, the European Union has activated the Civil Protection Mechanism to send aid to Israel. This was announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, explaining that fire-fighting planes from Greece, Cyprus, Croatia and Italy are already on their way. The Israeli authorities, supported by the army and specialised teams, are intervening with airdrops of fire retardants and the deployment of heavy vehicles to stem the flames. According to the Times of Israel, aircraft from Ukraine, Spain, France and Romania are also involved in the operations. In total, four C-130Js of the Israeli Air Force have already carried out more than 95 launches, distributing more than 300,000 litres of water to the worst affected areas.

Meanwhile, the fourth round of US-Iran talks on the nuclear issue, scheduled for Saturday 3 May in Rome, has been postponed for logistical reasons until a later date. This was announced by Oman, the mediator of the negotiations. "For logistical reasons, we are rescheduling the meeting between the US and Iran, tentatively scheduled for Saturday 3 May. The new dates will be announced when agreed,' stressed Badr Albusaidi, Muscat's foreign minister, in a post on X.