Macron: Gaza needs more than a military solution

"No one forgets October 7. But after almost two years of war, what is the result? Once again, they kill the top leaders of Hamas. It works. This is a great achievement, but at the same time, you have as many Hamas fighters as you had on the first day. So the 'dismantling' of Hamas is not working," Macron said.

He assessed that this is not the right way to proceed and that a "complete process" is needed for Gaza, stressing the need for a plan for the enclave "for the day after".

The French president stressed the need to release all hostages, achieve a ceasefire, deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and stabilize the enclave.

Trump opened the bilateral meeting by praising Macron's diplomatic efforts, noting that the French president had helped him prevent global conflicts.

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"Emmanuel actually helped me in a couple of wars," Trump said, responding to Macron's recent remark that Trump could win the Nobel Peace Prize if he ends the war in Gaza, CNN reported.

When Trump was asked about his latest remarks in which he called Palestinian statehood a "gift to Hamas," he repeated his stance, arguing that such a move pays tribute to the terrorist organization.

"Well, I think it honors Hamas, and you can't do that because of October 7. You can't do that. But we want the hostages back," Trump said, alluding to an October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel.

Macron, who sat next to Trump, stressed that recognizing a Palestinian state does not mean ignoring Hamas attacks, recalling the difference between political recognition of the Palestinian right to exist and violent actions by militant groups.

France and several other Western countries officially recognized a Palestinian state at the UN on Monday.