Emmanuel Macron has ramped up his criticism of Israel’s military strategy, saying its stated objective of the elimination of Hamas could take a decade and stoke “the resentment of all public opinion in the region”.
In his strongest warning yet, the French president said at the weekend that the Israeli authorities needed to “define more precisely” their aims in Gaza, adding that the proper response to a terrorist group was not “to bomb the entirety of civilian capabilities”.
“We are at a moment where the Israeli authorities will have to define more precisely their objective and the desired final state. The total destruction of Hamas, what is it, and does anyone think it is possible? If that’s it, the war will last 10 years, and I don’t think anyone knows how to seriously define this objective,” Macron said as the second phase of the Israeli offensive started.
Speaking at the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai, he added: “The right response against a terrorist group is not to eliminate an entire territory or to bomb the entirety of civilian capabilities.
“There is no lasting security for Israel in the region if its security comes at the cost of Palestinian lives and therefore the resentment of all public opinion in the region.”
The remarks, which built decisively on concerns Macron first aired in a BBC interview three weeks ago, may prompt criticism from those who say his Middle East policy has been erratic and that he has lost traction in the region as a result.
Macron has held a series of meetings in recent days with key Arab leaders including his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, and King Abdullah II of Jordan. In Doha on Saturday he met the emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, where he was told that the seven-day ceasefire that came to an end on Friday was unlikely to be revived in the short-term.
A meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday will test whether this diplomatic push has helped the GCC frame a plan for the region beyond calling for a ceasefire. GCC leaders have been at an impasse, unwilling to take practical measures against Israel or to openly criticise the US leadership.
Macron has been widely accused of failing to follow a clear policy on Israel’s right to self-defence, a charge rejected by his allies who say his policy has been consistent and has developed as events unfold.
His apparently unconditional support for Israel after the Hamas attacks on 7 October disappointed Arab leaders, as well as some French diplomats, used to Paris adopting a policy on Israel that is more independent of Washington.
His slowly gathering criticism of Israel, faced by the rising Palestinian death toll, now risks alienating Israelis, showing the complexity of the balancing act.
Macron was widely seen to have made a diplomatic error in calling for an international alliance to be formed to fight Hamas along the lines of that used against Islamic State, a proposal he aired on a trip to the region on 24 October. He held a hastily arranged humanitarian conference on the sidelines of the Paris peace forum on 9 November where he raised millions in humanitarian aid but opposed humanitarian safe zones.
In a BBC interview the following day, the French president said Israel’s bombardment of Gaza was killing civilians – “these babies, these ladies, these old people” – adding: “There is no reason for that and no legitimacy. So we do urge Israel to stop.”
He reassured the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, the next day that his remarks had been over-interpreted.
Macron’s critics have described his policy as erratic, adopting neither the strong line of support for Israel given by the UK and German governments, nor the more critical stance of the Spanish or Belgian prime ministers. Emmanuel Dupuy, the president of the EU Institute for Prospective Security, has accused him of “regatta diplomacy”, steering to port one day and starboard the next and notably switching tone according to the views of his interlocutor.
The president’s allies say his views have developed as the Israeli bombing campaign has unfolded and as questions mount over the plan for the day after the defeat of Hamas. He has been given cover by a warning from the US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, that Israel is heading for strategic defeat if it pursues its current course.
In an attempt to map out French policy, the foreign affairs minister, Catherine Colonna, and the armed forces minister, Sébastien Lecornu, wrote a joint text to defend France’s position. They said French objectives were “a lasting truce that allows the release of hostages, increased humanitarian access [and] opens the possibility of a ceasefire and restores a political horizon”. Constraints on Hamas funding, more targeted military action and a clearer plan for Gaza that could be embraced by Arab leaders would help, they added.
