Speaking of Israel’s reaction to an unprecedented strike by Hamas militants on October 7, French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Wednesday that combating terrorism did not mean “to flatten Gaza.”
Macron remarked to the France 5 station, “We cannot allow the notion to spread that an effective fight against terrorism implies to flatten Gaza or attack civilian populations indiscriminately.”
“To stop this response because it is not appropriate, because all lives are worth the same and we defend them,” the speaker urged Israel.
Macron stated that although France supported “Israel’s right to defend itself and fight terror,” it also demanded “a truce leading to a humanitarian ceasefire” and the safety of people.
With 20,000 killed in Gaza, hopes for an Israel-Hamas truce agreement are growing.
Following discussions in Europe and a visit to Egypt by the leader of the Palestinian terrorist group, hopes increased on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas would be edging closer to another ceasefire and hostage-release agreement in the Gaza conflict.
Fighting continued despite talks of a truce, and the Hamas authority in Gaza claimed that 20,000 people had died inside Palestinian territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leans right, stated that there cannot be a ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas fighters are eliminated, while Washington voiced optimism that the truce negotiations will yield outcomes.
Spokesman for the National Security Council John Kirby stated, “We hope that these very serious discussions and negotiations lead somewhere.
Additionally, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed optimism for a fresh ceasefire.
“We are still very much involved in trying to get the hostages to move out once more,” he stated.
Following criticism from Washington and other partners on civilian losses, Netanyahu declared that battle would not halt until all goals were met, including “the elimination of Hamas, the release of our hostages, and the end of the threat from Gaza.”
He had informed the families of a few of the 129 prisoners who were still being detained in Gaza late on Tuesday that he had twice sent the chief of the Mossad espionage agency “to Europe to promote a process to free our hostages.”
According to an AFP count based on Israeli numbers, Hamas struck Israel on October 7, sparking the worst Gaza conflict ever. Around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, were killed and about 250 were kidnapped.
Israel launched a ground invasion and a merciless bombardment in retaliation. The majority of those slain in Gaza, according to Hamas, have been women and children.
PROTEST
Relatives of the hostages have protested to Netanyahu, demanding an immediate agreement to release the prisoners.
“Dangers arise every moment the hostages are present. They don’t have time,” stated 17-year-old Dutch-Israeli ex-prisoner Ofir Engel.
This week in Warsaw, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and CIA head Bill Burns had a “positive meeting” led by Mossad head David Barnea, an anonymous source with knowledge of the discussions told AFP.
“With the goal of coming to an agreement regarding the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza in exchange for a truce and the possible release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons,” the source stated that negotiations were still underway.
Supported by Egypt and the US, Qatar assisted in mediating the first week-long ceasefire last month, which resulted in the release of 80 Israeli hostages in return for 240 Palestinian detainees.
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas located in Qatar, traveled to Egypt to hold discussions with Abbas Kamel, the head of that nation’s security services.
Speaking to AFP in Gaza on Wednesday under the pseudonym “a total ceasefire and a retreat of the Israeli occupation army from the Gaza Strip are a precondition for any serious negotiation” on a hostage-prison swap, a Hamas source stated.
Explore Naijaecho.com.ng For More News Updates