Macron: France May Toughen Stance on Israel if it Continues Blocking Gaza Aid

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shakes hands with French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron during Macron's State visit, in Singapore, May 30, 2025. Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI)/Handout via REUTERS
Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shakes hands with French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron during Macron's State visit, in Singapore, May 30, 2025. Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI)/Handout via REUTERS
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Macron: France May Toughen Stance on Israel if it Continues Blocking Gaza Aid

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shakes hands with French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron during Macron's State visit, in Singapore, May 30, 2025. Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI)/Handout via REUTERS
Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shakes hands with French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron during Macron's State visit, in Singapore, May 30, 2025. Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI)/Handout via REUTERS

France could harden its position on Israel if it continues to block humanitarian aid to Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, reiterating that Paris was committed to a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

"The humanitarian blockade is creating a situation that is untenable on the ground," Macron said at a joint press conference in Singapore with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

"And so, if there is no response that meets the humanitarian situation in the coming hours and days, obviously, we will have to toughen our collective position," Macron said, adding that France may consider applying sanctions against Israeli settlers.

"But I still hope that the government of Israel will change its stance and that we will finally have a humanitarian response,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

Under growing international pressure, Israel partially ended an 11-week long aid blockade on Gaza last week, allowing a limited amount of relief to be delivered under a system that has been heavily criticized.

Macron said Paris is committed to working towards a political solution and reiterated his support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

The existence of a Palestinian state "is not just simply a moral duty but also a political necessity," Macron told reporters in Singapore, in comments broadcast on French TV.

Macron is leaning towards recognizing a Palestinian state, diplomats and experts say, a move that could infuriate Israel and deepen Western splits.

French officials are weighing up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting between June 17-20, to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security.



Egypt, Jordan and Others Call for a Halt to Israeli-Iranian Conflict 

A projectile crosses the sky above Jerusalem, 17 June 2025. (EPA)
A projectile crosses the sky above Jerusalem, 17 June 2025. (EPA)
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Egypt, Jordan and Others Call for a Halt to Israeli-Iranian Conflict 

A projectile crosses the sky above Jerusalem, 17 June 2025. (EPA)
A projectile crosses the sky above Jerusalem, 17 June 2025. (EPA)

Twenty countries denounced in a joint statement the escalating tensions in the Middle East caused by what they term Israel’s aggression against Iran and called for diplomacy and dialogue to restore stability in the region.

“There’s an imperative need to halt Israeli hostilities against Iran, which come during a time of increasing tension in the Middle East, and to work towards de-escalation, to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire and restoration of calm,” read the statement.

Foreign ministers of Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Chad, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, and Mauritania rejected finding resolution through military campaigns. Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Somalia, Sudan, Türkiye, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates also condemned the escalation.

They also highlighted the importance of clearing the region of nuclear and mass destruction weapons and called for refraining from targeting nuclear facilities and protecting maritime navigation in international waters.