On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he had held a conversation with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and together, they condemned the renewed Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, as reported by Reuters.
Macron shared that the two leaders are set to co-chair a conference aimed at promoting a two-state solution, with the objective of “helping revive a political perspective for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
He stressed the significance of reinstating the ceasefire in Gaza, stating, “A return to the ceasefire is essential for the release of all hostages and the protection of civilians.”
Following the conversation, Macron took to X to highlight that both leaders had discussed the immediate need for collaborative efforts concerning Gaza’s future.
The Israeli airstrikes, which came as a surprise on Tuesday morning, were a response to Hamas’ refusal to free additional hostages and its rejection of a proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff.
Macron has been vocal in his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, particularly in relation to its conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah.
The French President had previously called for an arms embargo against Israel, arguing that “stopping the export of weapons” used by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon was the only viable solution to end the fighting.
The renewed Israeli airstrikes in Gaza also drew condemnation on Tuesday from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who wrote on X, “I am outraged by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. I strongly appeal for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be reestablished and for the remaining hostages to be released unconditionally.”
Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oren Marmorstein, responded sharply to Guterres’ comments, saying, “We are outraged that you, Antonio Guterres, are the Secretary-General of the UN.”
Marmorstein continued, “Not a word about the fact that Hamas rejected two American proposals to extend the ceasefire and release more hostages—two proposals that Israel accepted.”
“Not a word about the fact that Hamas exploits the transfer of goods to Gaza to rebuild its war machine in order to further attack Israel.”
“Not a word about UNRWA, which, under your leadership, employs Hamas terrorists, and whose facilities were used by Hamas to hold hostages. Indeed, we are outraged by your moral bankruptcy,” Marmorstein concluded.
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