In a wide-ranging interview with BBC at the end of the first day of an annual Paris Peace Forum, Emmanuel Matron called on Israel to stop bombing civilians in Gaza, adding there was "no justification" for the bombing, saying a ceasefire would benefit Israel. While recognizing Israel's right to protect itself after the October 7 Hamas attacks, the French head of state added: "De facto – today, civilians are bombed – de facto. These babies, these ladies, these old people are bombed and killed. So there is no reason for that and no legitimacy. So we do urge Israel to stop."
Macron said that all governments and aid agencies reunited at a humanitarian aid conference held in Paris on Thursday had agreed "that there is no other solution than first a humanitarian pause, going to a ceasefire, which will allow [us] to protect... all civilians having nothing to do with terrorists". France – like Israel, the US, the UK, and other Western nations – considers Hamas a terrorist organization. When asked if he wanted other leaders (including in the US and the UK) to join his calls for a ceasefire, he replied: "I hope they will."
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says that more than 11,000 people, mainly civilians, have been killed in Israel's air and ground assault since. Macron said France "clearly condemns" the unprecedented cross-border attacks by the Palestinian militant groups that Israel says left 1,200 dead, mainly civilians, with 240 others taken hostage. "We do share [Israel's] pain. And we do share their willingness to get rid of terrorism," Macron added during the interview. "We know what terrorism means in France." But he insisted there was "no justification" for the bombing of civilians. "It's extremely important for all of us because of our principles, because we are democracies. It's important for the mid-to-long run as well for the security of Israel itself, to recognize that all lives matter," he added.
When asked whether Israel had breached international law, Macron replied: "I'm not a judge. I'm a head of state" who sought to be "a partner and a friend" to Israel. The French leader added that he disagreed that the best way for Israel to "protect [itself] is having a large bombing of Gaza". This was creating "resentment and bad feelings" in the Middle East, he said.