US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, met on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where they discussed differing views on the future of Gaza and Palestinian statehood.
According to CNN, Trump rejected the two-state solution to the Gaza conflict, claiming it represents a “reward” for Hamas.
France recently joined the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal in officially recognizing the Palestinian state.
Trump began Tuesday’s bilateral meeting by complimenting Macron’s diplomatic efforts, stating that the French president had assisted him in preventing global crises.
“Emmanuel has actually helped me with a couple of the wars,” Trump said, in response to Macron’s recent remark that if the US president wants a Nobel Peace Prize, he should “put an end to the war in Gaza.”
Speaking about Palestinian statehood and his latest remarks, which would be a “gift to Hamas,” the US president again pushed back strongly.
“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,” Trump said.
“You always have to remember, people forget October 7 was one of the most savage days in the history of the world,” the US president said.
In response, Macron, sitting next to Trump, emphasized that recognizing a Palestinian state does not imply ignoring Hamas’ attacks on Israel in October 2023.
The Gaza War is a military battle conducted between the Gaza Strip and Israel that began on October 7, 2023, when the Hamas militant group attacked Israel, prompting Israel to begin an offensive in the Gaza Strip in reprisal.
