Macron calls for greater efforts toward ceasefire in Gaza
3 Min Read
During a Dubai conference, the French President said achieving the "total destruction of Hamas" would mean "the war will last 10 years."
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French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a national statement at the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on December 1, 2023. (AFP)
French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Saturday that "Israel's" goal of "annihilating" the Palestinian resistance of Hamas risks sparking a decade of war.
Achieving "total Hamas destruction" would involve "ten years" of war, Macron warned during a news conference on the margins of the UN's COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
Macron expressed that Israeli officials, therefore, "must more precisely define their objectives and their final goal: the total destruction of Hamas, does anyone think it is possible? If this is the case, the war will last 10 years."
Macron urged increased efforts to achieve a long-term ceasefire in Gaza after the Israeli occupation forces resumed their deadly attacks on Palestinians after the seven-day truce expired.
Palestinian media sources reported that tens of people were killed within only a few hours since the aggression was renewed, including Al-Aqsa TV cameraman Abdallah Darwish who was martyred in the occupation raids on the Gaza Strip.
"This situation requires stepped-up efforts to reach a lasting ceasefire," Macron explained.
Following the end of the humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, Macron will visit Qatar, one of the key mediators in the war on Gaza, during which he is scheduled to convene with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Macron, who expressed France was "very concerned" by the resumption of Israeli strikes, will discuss a range of issues about the war on Gaza, such as strategies to revive the humanitarian pause, release more captives, and negotiate ceasefire talks.
This is in light of reports that at least four settlers with French citizenship are believed to be held captive by Hamas.
Two weeks ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Macron held a phone conversation in which they discussed the war on Gaza and said that the "two-state" principle is the only solution to the situation.
Backtracking statement
Macron has been retracting his initial statements recently, especially before the first truce was implemented.
The world has to work on a humanitarian ceasefire as the only means of preserving life in the region, according to Macron, who criticized Israeli proposals to force residents into alleged "safe zones" in the southern part of Gaza.
In his address at the humanitarian conference held in Paris, Macron called the proposals a very bad idea that cannot guarantee the safety of those in Gaza.
He also said the Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip "have no reason or legitimacy and must be stopped."
"De facto - today, civilians are bombed - de facto. These babies, these ladies, these old people are bombed and killed. So there is no reason for that and no legitimacy," Macron told the BBC on November 11, confirming there was "no justification" for the bombing.
Most importantly, the French President expressed that "there is no lasting security for Israel in the region if its security is achieved at the cost of Palestinian lives and thus of the resentment of public opinions in the region. Let's be collectively lucid."
