Emmanuel Macron has said that Israel’s goal of fighting terrorism did not mean it had to “flatten Gaza”, referring to its response to Hamas’s attack on 7 October.
“We cannot let the idea take root that an efficient fight against terrorism implies to flatten Gaza or attack civilian populations indiscriminately,” Macron told the France 5 broadcaster.
The French president called on Israel “to stop this response because it is not appropriate, because all lives are worth the same and we defend them”.
While acknowledging “Israel’s right to defend itself and fight terror”, Macron said France called for the protection of civilians and “a truce leading to a humanitarian ceasefire”.
The bloodiest-ever Gaza war began when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, and abducting about 250, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
In response, Israel began a relentless bombardment alongside a ground invasion.
Hamas said on Wednesday that 20,000 people have been killed in Gaza, mainly women and children.
Macron has repeatedly criticised Israel’s execution of its campaign, warning earlier this month that its stated objective of the elimination of Hamas could take a decade and stoke “the resentment of all public opinion in the region”.
Speaking at the Cop28 climate conference in Dubai, he said 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,” he said in Dubai.
Macron has been 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 mounting criticism of Israel now risks alienating Israelis.
