From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
Macron: Israel’s new Gaza offensive will ‘lead to disaster,’ risks ‘permanent war’
Stav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
French President Emmanuel Macron says that the planned Israeli military offensive in Gaza “can only lead to disaster for both peoples” and calls instead for a permanent ceasefire, a hostage release deal, disarmament of Hamas and an “international stabilization mission” for the Strip.
In a post on X, Macron says he has spoken with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and the three leaders share the conviction that expanded Israeli action in Gaza, which is due to begin with the conquest of Gaza City, “risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war.”
Outlining a roadmap, Macron says the only credible path forward includes disarming Hamas, strengthening the Palestinian Authority’s role in Gaza, and delivering “large-scale” humanitarian aid. He adds that France, alongside Egypt, Jordan, and “all our regional and international partners,” supports deploying an “international stabilization mission” in Gaza and advancing a political solution that meets “the aspirations of both peoples, Israeli and Palestinian.”
I have just spoken with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt.
We share the same conviction:
The military offensive in Gaza that Israel is preparing can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 20, 2025
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his conviction that Israel cannot hand control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority after the war, a position at odds with Macron’s call to strengthen the PA’s role in the Strip.
Macron notes that France will co-chair a conference on the two-state solution with Saudi Arabia in New York next month, calling it “the only credible way forward — for the families of the hostages, for Israelis, and for Palestinians alike.”
The remarks come amid sharp tensions between Paris and Jerusalem, and between their two leaders. Yesterday, Netanyahu accused Macron of fueling antisemitism by announcing France’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state in September, an announcement that was followed by several other countries saying they would do the same.
In a letter to the French premier, Netanyahu charged that the move “rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas’s refusal to free the hostages, emboldens those who menace French Jews, and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets.”
Macron had already faced pushback late last month after unveiling the recognition plan, which would place France among a growing list of nations that have recognized Palestinian statehood since the outbreak of the Gaza war nearly two years ago.
The Times of Israel Community.