At a press conference in Singapore, he also pointed out that Europeans will have to "harden their collective position" against Israel "if there is no response that is equivalent to the humanitarian situation that will arise in the coming hours and days" in Gaza.
In that case, the European Union would have to "apply" its "rules", "i.e. put an end to processes that imply respect for human rights, which is not the case today, and apply sanctions", he said, referring to the EU-27-Israel Association Agreement, which would be reviewed.
"So, yes, we have to harden our position because that is what is needed today, but I still hope that the Israeli government will change its position and that we will finally have a humanitarian response," Macron added, as quoted by AFP.
From June 17 to 20, France and Saudi Arabia are co-chairing an international conference at the United Nations in New York on the so-called two-state solution - Israel and Palestine.
Without saying clearly whether he would recognize a Palestinian state on this occasion, Emmanuel Macron stressed that "the creation of a Palestinian state" under certain conditions is "not just a moral duty, but a political requirement."
He listed the conditions: the "release of the hostages" held by Hamas, the "demilitarisation" of the Palestinian Islamist movement, the "non-participation" of this movement in the governance of this state, the "reform of the Palestinian Authority", the recognition by Israel of the future state and "its right to live in conditions of security", and the "creation of a security architecture throughout the region".
"This is what we will try to anchor in an important moment together on June 18, and I will be there," he concluded of the UN conference. | BGNES