France says it has obtained new commitments from the Palestinian Authority to reform, ahead of a conference next week at which Paris could become the most prominent Western power to back recognition of an independent Palestinian state, Reuters reports.

French President Emmanuel Macron has received a letter from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in which he condemns the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack against Israel, calls on all captives to be released and pledges further reforms, the Elysee Palace has said.

The letter to Macron, who is working on organising an international conference with Saudi Arabia to discuss recognition of Palestine, contains “unprecedented” pledges, Macron’s office said, without elaborating.

“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza and must hand over its weapons and military capabilities to the Palestinian Security Forces, which will oversee their removal outside the Occupied Palestinian territory, with Arab and international support,” the French leader’s office quoted Abbas as having written in the letter.