French president demands respect for Palestinians

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for “respect” for Palestinians, rejecting US President Donald Trump’s plans for the mass deportation of Gazans.

Speaking to CNN yesterday, Macron said: “You cannot say to two million people, ‘okay, now guess what? You will move’,” emphasising that this is not a matter of “real estate” but a “political operation”.

Macron also said any “efficient” response to rebuilding Gaza “doesn’t automatically mean that you should lack respect for people or countries,” highlighting the wishes of Palestinians to remain in their homelands and the unwillingness of both Jordan and Egypt to accept large numbers of Palestinian refugees from Gaza.

France voiced support for “Israel’s right to defend itself” following 7 October 2023, however Macron has criticised Israel’s operations and policies on multiple occasions.

“I always reiterated my disagreement with [Israeli] Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Macron said. “I don’t believe, once again, that such a massive operation targeting sometimes civilian people is the right answer.”

France suspended arms exports to the Israeli occupation army in October 2024, calling on other nations to follow suit. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, France did not export any major arms to Israel in recent years but has supplied components for arms.

On 4 February, Trump announced at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US intended to seize Gaza and ethnically cleanse Palestinian from it, moving them to neighbouring countries, including Egypt and Jordan.

Trump’s plan has faced widespread rejection from Palestinians, Arabs, and the international community while receiving significant political support within Israel.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have killed over 48,200 Palestinians and devastated Gaza since the war on the enclave began on 7 October 2023.

READ: Top 5 Israeli violations of Gaza ceasefire deal