Macron rejects Trump's Gaza 'peace' claim, says no humanitarian corridor reopened
France President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday challenged US President Donald Trump's claim of having secured peace in Gaza, saying the situation on the ground did not reflect the diplomatic breakthrough portrayed by Trump.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Macron questioned the US President's description of his Gaza peace plan as a diplomatic success, pointing to the continued lack of humanitarian access to the enclave.
"A year ago, here in this very hall, about a dozen states had recognised Palestine," Macron said, referring to countries that had recognised Palestinian statehood. He then criticised what he described as inaction over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
"But what credibility do we have if we continue to remain inactive in the face of Gaza? Some boast of a supposed peace. But that peace has not reopened humanitarian access for a single second," Macron said, striking the podium.
"Are we simply to stand by and watch this spectacle that should shame us all?" he added.WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS TRUMP'S GAZA PLAN
The White House pushed back against Macron's criticism, defending Trump's handling of the conflict.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Trump had "ended the war between Israel and Hamas", secured the release of all living hostages and returned the bodies of deceased hostages to their families, Reuters reported.
She said Trump was now leading the implementation of the 20-Point Plan for Peace in Gaza, adding that while others talked, "this President took this complex problem head on".MACRON DEFENDS PALESTINIAN STATE RECOGNITION
Macron also defended France's decision to recognise a Palestinian state last September, despite criticism from some French politicians and activists that Paris had not done enough on the issue.
France has hardened its position on settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including imposing national sanctions and beginning a process aimed at banning products from Israeli settlements there.
"Look at what is happening in the West Bank, where every day violations are committed. In whose name? Hamas has never operated in the West Bank," Macron said.
He warned that developments in the West Bank were undermining the possibility of a future political project based on Palestinian rights.
France's relations with Israel have become increasingly strained over the past year. Macron also rejected the argument that undermining the sovereignty of neighbouring countries would strengthen Israel's security.
"They are weakening Israel's security, both today and in the future," he said.'LONG LIVE THE UNITED NATIONS'
Macron used his final UN address to defend multilateralism and warn against what he called a global return to the "law of the jungle".
With France's next presidential election seven months away, the speech marked Macron's final appearance at the UN General Assembly before he leaves office next May.
Macron said countries faced a choice between a world governed by power and coercion and what he called a "civilized international society".
"Our duty, more than ever, is to stand alongside the United Nations. We cannot accept the new order of impunity that some would like to build," he said.
He ended his speech with a declaration of support for the international body: "Long Live the United Nations!"- EndsPublished By: Zafar ZaidiPublished On: Sep 23, 2026 04:31 IST
