French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that recognizing the Palestinian state is the only way to achieve peace in Gaza and isolate Hamas.
He rejected US President Donald Trump's claim that recognizing Palestine is a "reward" for Hamas.
Emmanuel Macron told BFMTV that Hamas was working against a two-state solution and a civilian government in Gaza and that supporting the legitimate Palestinian government was the only way to end the "Islamist terrorist group".
Macron said he supported a peace process that would include several phases, starting with a ceasefire, the release of hostages and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
A transitional authority would then be established in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and with the exclusion of Hamas, supported by an international stabilization mission.
Finally, the Palestinian government would proceed to demilitarize and deradicalize Hamas and recognize Israel.
Since October 2023, when the conflict broke out, Israeli military action has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the almost complete displacement of the Gaza population. Human rights experts and a UN investigation have described the situation as tantamount to genocide.
Israel denies the charges, insisting its actions were self-defense after a Hamas attack in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages.
Meanwhile, Britain and France, key US allies, have backed Palestinian statehood at the UN as a step toward a two-state solution — a position Washington disagrees with.