United States President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron met Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to address their contrasting positions on Gaza and Palestinian statehood.
Trump rejected the two-state solution, calling it a “reward” for Hamas, CNN reported. France recently joined the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal in officially recognising the Palestinian state.
At the start of the bilateral meeting, Trump praised Macron’s diplomatic efforts, saying the French leader had helped him prevent global conflicts. “Emmanuel has actually helped me with a couple of the wars,” Trump said, responding to Macron’s comment that if Trump wanted a Nobel Peace Prize, he should “put an end to the war in Gaza.”
Regarding Palestinian statehood, Trump argued that recognition would be a “gift to Hamas.” “Well, I think it honors Hamas, and you can’t do that because of October 7. You can’t do that. But we want our hostages back,” he said. “You always have to remember, people forget October 7 was one of the most savage days in the history of the world.”
Macron, seated beside Trump, emphasised that recognising a Palestinian state does not mean overlooking Hamas’ October 2023 attacks on Israel.
The Gaza conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, triggering an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
