UN Resolution 242 does not expressly reference any "right of return" at all, let alone an absolute one. Indeed, 242 did not even mention the so-called "Palestinians" or use the term "West Bank."
It is hard to fathom France's irresponsible behavior. Besides the proposal for illegal unilateral recognition of a so-called "Palestinian state" (as detailed in, Munich Betrayal 2.0-Perfidious appeasement will fail yet again), Yigal Carmon of Memri posted on X that the document France submitted for the UN General Assembly in September, which was published by the French Foreign Ministry on July 29, 2025, expressly provides, in paragraph 39, for an “affirmation of the right of return”.
Ofer Bronstein, Special Envoy of the President of France, responded to Carmon’s post on X and stated that it was an error, which France would be correcting, by providing instead that “The parties will negotiate among themselves on a solution to the refugee issue”. He also thanked Carmon for his understanding and his justified concern. Carmon thanked Bronstein in a reply post on X and asked to be sent the new version in the official government publication when it comes out.
The improbable claim that this was all just some innocent mistake strains credulity. More likely, is that there was a disagreement about the correct policy to be pursued. It begs the question of what France is actually thinking as it pursues its misguided approach of appeasement of Hamas and terrorism that actually creates, rather than resolves, an existential threat to Israel. The policy is neither legal nor moral. In this regard it should be noted that Germany just announced it will not join with France in recognizing a "Palestinian state".