Macron slams disaster waiting to happen in Gaza, wants UN mission.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday slammed Israel's plans to step up its military operation in Gaza as a disaster waiting to happen and proposed an international coalition under a United Nations mandate to stabilize Gaza.
Last week, Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, in a move that expanded its military operations in the shattered Palestinian territory and drew strong criticism at home and abroad.
"The Israeli cabinet's announcement of an expansion of its operations in Gaza City and the Mawasi camps and for a re-occupation heralds a disaster of unprecedented gravity waiting to happen and of a drift towards a never-ending war," said Macron, in remarks sent by his office to reporters.
"The Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza will continue to be the primary victims of this strategy," added Macron.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately return a request for comment. Responding to international criticism in a press conference on Sunday, he said Israel is "applying force judiciously".
By proposing a U.N.-mandated mission in Gaza, Macron is seeking to build on the momentum created by his recognition of a Palestinian state last month, which set off a domino of recognitions, with Britain and Canada following suit.
Macron said the U.N. mission would be tasked with securing the Gaza Strip, protecting civilians and working in support of unspecified Palestinian governance. He said the U.N. Security Council should work on establishing the mission.
"I have asked my teams to work on that with our partners without delay," he added.
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Macron: Israel’s ‘disastrous’ Gaza plan will lead to permanent war.
Emmanuel Macron has condemned Israel’s plans to expand its offensive in Gaza as a “disaster” and a move towards a “never-ending war”.
Israel’s security cabinet last week approved a plan to invade Gaza City, in effect moving towards the full occupation of the war-battered Strip, which drew severe criticism from home and abroad.
The French president said on Monday: “The Israeli cabinet’s announcement of an expansion of its operations in Gaza City and the Mawasi camps and for a re-occupation heralds a disaster of unprecedented gravity waiting to happen and of a move towards a never-ending war.”
“The Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza will continue to be the primary victims of this strategy,” added Mr. Macron, who last month pledged to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Mr. Macron said it was important to establish a UN-mandated stabilization mission to secure the Gaza Strip. “I have asked my teams to work on this without delay with our partners,” he added.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, defended the plan on Sunday, despite calls from the military to change course, saying “Israel has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas”.
However, Israeli officials have said it could take until October to evacuate civilians from Gaza City, allowing the possibility of a ceasefire to be achieved before the new offensive could start.
It comes as Israel killed Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, and four of his colleagues in a targeted strike on Sunday, which has been condemned by journalists and rights groups.
Israel’s military accused the 28-year-old, one of the network’s most recognizable faces, of leading a Hamas terror cell and being involved in rocket attacks on Israel.
Al Jazeera rejected that accusation and said the attack was a “desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza”.
Sir Keir Starmer said he was “gravely concerned” about the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza, while the UN said it was a “grave breach of international humanitarian law”.
At least 69 people have been killed in Gaza over the past 24 hours, says the Hamas-run health ministry in the Strip.
That includes five people who died of malnutrition, the ministry said, bringing the overall claimed death toll to 61,499.
It comes as Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, said on Monday that it was selling its investments in 11 Israeli companies.
Nicolai Tangen, chief of Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages the $1.8tn fund, cited the “serious humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and the worsening conditions in the West Bank as the reasons behind the decision.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday slammed Israel's plans to step up its military operation in Gaza as a disaster waiting to happen and proposed an international coalition under a United Nations mandate to stabilize Gaza.
Last week, Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, in a move that expanded its military operations in the shattered Palestinian territory and drew strong criticism at home and abroad.
"The Israeli cabinet's announcement of an expansion of its operations in Gaza City and the Mawasi camps and for a re-occupation heralds a disaster of unprecedented gravity waiting to happen and of a drift towards a never-ending war," said Macron, in remarks sent by his office to reporters.
"The Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza will continue to be the primary victims of this strategy," added Macron.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately return a request for comment. Responding to international criticism in a press conference on Sunday, he said Israel is "applying force judiciously".
By proposing a U.N.-mandated mission in Gaza, Macron is seeking to build on the momentum created by his recognition of a Palestinian state last month, which set off a domino of recognitions, with Britain and Canada following suit.
Macron said the U.N. mission would be tasked with securing the Gaza Strip, protecting civilians and working in support of unspecified Palestinian governance. He said the U.N. Security Council should work on establishing the mission.
"I have asked my teams to work on that with our partners without delay," he added.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Macron: Israel’s ‘disastrous’ Gaza plan will lead to permanent war.
Emmanuel Macron has condemned Israel’s plans to expand its offensive in Gaza as a “disaster” and a move towards a “never-ending war”.
Israel’s security cabinet last week approved a plan to invade Gaza City, in effect moving towards the full occupation of the war-battered Strip, which drew severe criticism from home and abroad.
The French president said on Monday: “The Israeli cabinet’s announcement of an expansion of its operations in Gaza City and the Mawasi camps and for a re-occupation heralds a disaster of unprecedented gravity waiting to happen and of a move towards a never-ending war.”
“The Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza will continue to be the primary victims of this strategy,” added Mr. Macron, who last month pledged to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Mr. Macron said it was important to establish a UN-mandated stabilization mission to secure the Gaza Strip. “I have asked my teams to work on this without delay with our partners,” he added.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, defended the plan on Sunday, despite calls from the military to change course, saying “Israel has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas”.
However, Israeli officials have said it could take until October to evacuate civilians from Gaza City, allowing the possibility of a ceasefire to be achieved before the new offensive could start.
It comes as Israel killed Anas al-Sharif, a prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, and four of his colleagues in a targeted strike on Sunday, which has been condemned by journalists and rights groups.
Israel’s military accused the 28-year-old, one of the network’s most recognizable faces, of leading a Hamas terror cell and being involved in rocket attacks on Israel.
Al Jazeera rejected that accusation and said the attack was a “desperate attempt to silence voices in anticipation of the occupation of Gaza”.
Sir Keir Starmer said he was “gravely concerned” about the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza, while the UN said it was a “grave breach of international humanitarian law”.
At least 69 people have been killed in Gaza over the past 24 hours, says the Hamas-run health ministry in the Strip.
That includes five people who died of malnutrition, the ministry said, bringing the overall claimed death toll to 61,499.
It comes as Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the largest in the world, said on Monday that it was selling its investments in 11 Israeli companies.
Nicolai Tangen, chief of Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages the $1.8tn fund, cited the “serious humanitarian crisis” in Gaza and the worsening conditions in the West Bank as the reasons behind the decision.
19 days ago
