French President Emmanuel Macron warned that his country could “apply sanctions” against the Israelis unless the government of Tel Aviv responds to the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
Speaking during a visit to Singapore on Friday, Macron said that the international community could not remain passive while the Palestinians of Gaza faced a crisis of in -depth hunger. The comments raise more strengthening of international pressure on Israel, which blocked the Palestinian enclave for almost three months, with aid agencies warning famine.
“The humanitarian blockade creates an untenable situation on the ground,” said Macron at a joint press conference alongside the Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
“If there is no answer in the hours and days to come online with the humanitarian situation, we will have to harden our collective position,” he added, suggesting that France could consider applying sanctions against Israeli colonists.
The Ministry of Israel for Foreign Affairs was unleashed later in the day, saying: “The facts are not interested in Macron.”
The ministry said there were no humanitarian blockade on Gaza and that the assertion of the contrary was “a blatant lie”, despite the senior UN officials and international organizations having reported several times that Israel has blocked any assistance entry since March 2.
Israel recently said that he would bow to international pressure and allow “minimal” supplies of food and medication in Gaza, on which he continues to carry out intense military assault.
However, the aid net entering the band under the control of a new dark NGO supported by Israel and the United States was accompanied by an intensive bombardment and the Palestinian shooting desperately trying to reach the aid distribution points.
In his comments, Macron called at the end of the hypotheses according to which Israel respects human rights.
“But I still hope that the government of Israel will change its position and that we will finally have a humanitarian response,” he added.
The French chief also stressed that the recognition of a Palestinian state is “not only a moral duty, but a political necessity”, although he added that his establishment should be in specific conditions.
His remarks followed a joint declaration earlier in the week with the Indonesian president Prabowo suffered to condemn any Israeli project to take control of Gaza or to expel its population.
Paris hopes to rally the momentum for conditional recognition of the Palestinian State, which would require, among other things, the demilitarization of Hamas.
French officials weighed this decision before a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia co-hosted between June 17 and 20, to have the parameters of a roadmap towards a Palestinian State, while guaranteeing the security of Israel.
However, some diplomats and experts suggest that such movements would exasperate Israel and deepen Western divisions.
Imminent famine
Despite an aid that begins to walk in Gaza after the Israeli blockade, the humanitarian crisis remains disastrous. Experts warn that one in five people are facing imminent famine.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private initiative supported by the United States and Israel, expanded its rescue operations on Thursday. However, the group’s efforts were largely condemned by the United Nations and other agencies as insufficient, poorly managed and not adhering to humanitarian principles.
GHF centers have become chaos, violence and despair sites, with scenes of disorder crossing the week, because a large number of hungry people have overwhelmed security forces.
An Tel Aviv Tribune correspondent in Gaza reported on Friday that several people had been injured by shots from the Israeli army at the center of the enclave while they were trying to reach a point of aid distribution set up by GHF.
UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, said on Friday that it was ready to deliver supplies – including food parcels, hygiene kits and medical aid – of its warehouses in Amman, a few hours drive from Gaza, if it is authorized to access.
Meanwhile, he talks about a ceasefire in the War of Israel with the Palestinian Armed group Hamas continues, the United States having presented a new proposal.
Hamas said that the proposal was “still under discussion”, but that in its current form would only “continue murder and famine” in Gaza.
