French President Emmanuel Macron said that if Israel intends to completely eliminate Palestinian movement Hamas, the war will last 10 years, so Israel should more clearly articulate its goal in the conflict.
"I believe that now the Israeli authorities will have to define their goal in a more precise way ... The complete elimination of Hamas - what is it, and does anyone think that it is possible? If this is the goal, then the war will last ten years," Macron said at a press conference on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai.
The French president also added that "the destruction of an entire territory or the bombing of all civilian potential" is not "a good response to the actions of a terrorist group."
On October 7, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.
Last week, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The truce was extended several times, but on Friday, December 1, the Israeli military resumed fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, saying the group had violated the humanitarian pause by opening fire on Israeli territory.