Macron Challenges Trump Over Gaza Peace Claims at the United Nations

French President Emmanuel Macron challenged US President Donald Trump’s account of peace in Gaza during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, arguing that the diplomatic claims were at odds with conditions for people needing humanitarian aid.

Speaking hours after Trump addressed the same gathering in New York, Macron said the peace described by the US president had not reopened humanitarian access to Gaza. He asked whether world leaders would simply watch what he called “a spectacle that should shame us all.” His remarks framed access for civilians as a test of whether a peace initiative is delivering results on the ground.

Trump had told the General Assembly that his administration ended the war in Gaza after his speech there a year earlier. Responding to Macron’s criticism, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the administration’s record. She said Trump had ended the war between Israel and Hamas, secured the return of hostages and was leading implementation of a 20-point peace plan.

Macron also pointed to violence and settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, warning that developments there were damaging the prospects for a viable Palestinian state. France formally recognised the State of Palestine in September 2025.

The speech was expected to be Macron’s last address to the General Assembly as president before his term ends in 2027. He used it to defend the United Nations and international cooperation, warning against a global order in which force and impunity displace agreed rules.