Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday warned that Israel's continued military operations in Gaza risk violating humanitarian principles, stressing that "ignoring humanitarian law and maintaining the situation in Gaza is not acceptable. Forced displacement of populations is not an acceptable response."

According to Anadolu Agency, Macron highlighted the importance of consistent international standards, stating, "We cannot have double standards. We stand for the right of the Ukrainian people to sovereignty. We must do the same when it comes to Gaza." Speaking at a joint press conference in Paris with the newly elected German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, Macron painted a grim picture of the escalating humanitarian toll in Gaza.

He pointed out that "since early March, access to humanitarian aid has been blocked. We've entered a phase where the wounded cannot be evacuated, and where people are cut off from food and medicine. This is the worst humanitarian situation Gaza has faced since the beginning of the war." Highlighting the severity, he added, "Never have so many civilians been so long without access to food, medicine, or medical evacuation."

Macron reiterated the call for releasing hostages and resuming the political process towards a two-state solution. He emphasized France's diplomatic efforts with Saudi Arabia and other regional partners to establish a mutual recognition framework ensuring both Palestinian statehood and Israel's right to security.

In a move to bolster European defense collaboration, Macron announced the creation of a Franco-German Defense and Security Council. This council will meet regularly to coordinate joint defense strategies and accelerate collaboration on projects such as next-generation tanks, long-range missiles, and combat aircraft. "This is not about weakening NATO," Macron clarified, "but about Europeans taking greater responsibility. We must organize ourselves better, without calling historic alliances into question."

Addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Macron expressed support for US-led efforts to negotiate a 30-day ceasefire with Russia as a step toward achieving "robust and lasting peace." He cautioned, however, that Europe must remain fully engaged while being cautious about overexposing military aid plans. "We must support Ukraine for as long as necessary, in full transparency with our allies - but say as little as possible publicly," he advised.