'Will push US to...': After Palestine recognition, Macron calls for sanctions on Israel if...

France President Emmanuel Macron defended France's decision to recognise Palestine as a state. He emphasised that France’s stance has remained consistent, stressing support for a two-state solution. Macron rejected claims that the recognition was merely symbolic, insisting that the move was part of a broader strategy to initiate a process that could lead to peace. He highlighted two main goals for the ongoing situation: the first, securing the release of hostages held by Hamas, and the second, calling for a ceasefire to halt the loss of life in Gaza and to resume humanitarian assistance. Macron argued that the idea of total war was counterproductive, as it jeopardised the hostages’ safety and only worsened the humanitarian crisis.

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Macron also framed the recognition of Palestine as a means to isolate Hamas. He pointed out that since the recognition, the Palestinian Authority had condemned the October 7th attacks, called for Hamas’s demilitarisation, and begun internal reforms. He also questioned the effectiveness of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, noting that despite heavy strikes against Hamas, the group remains largely intact. The French president acknowledged Israel’s military successes but argued that these alone wouldn’t eliminate Hamas. He warned that the continuation of total warfare would only result in more civilian casualties without achieving the desired military objective.

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Macron also criticised Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, asserting that the hostages’ fate and the well-being of Gaza’s civilian population should not be left in the hands of those whose priorities seemed to lie elsewhere. He suggested that Netanyahu’s primary concern wasn’t the hostages’ release, citing the continued military actions against Gaza as evidence. Macron expressed his intention to push the United States, the country with the power to exert significant pressure on Israel, to influence a change in Israeli policy. If the US failed to act, he warned that European countries would need to consider sanctions against Israel as a means of ensuring progress. “The one country with very concrete means to exert pressure”–to pressure Israel into changing course. Failing that, he said EU countries would have to press ahead with sanctions against Israel,” Macron was quoted as saying to France24.