Two senior French officials conducted a diplomatic visit to Israel, meeting with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Foreign Ministry Director General Amir Bar-Tal. The officials clarified that there would be no unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state during the international conference that France and Saudi Arabia plan to hold on June 17 at the UN building in New York. Israeli Foreign Ministry officials delivered sharp messages to them: "France is encouraging terrorism. The very connection you are creating between Gaza and an independent state is shocking, you are giving Hamas a prize."