AA / Paris / Ümit Dönmez
Emmanuel Macron once again urged Israel to accept a ceasefire in Gaza, believing that only such a truce would obtain the release of the hostages still held by Hamas. In a message published Tuesday on X (formerly Twitter), after a new telephone exchange with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, the French president has delivered the main lines of his diplomatic position.
“I just met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” writes Emmanuel Macron. The president recalls having “repeated France’s support for the security of Israel and its people”, specifying that “the release of all hostages has always been an absolute priority, as well as the demilitarization of Hamas”.
But it was on the conditions of this release that the head of state was the most explicit. “I expressed my position very clearly: the ceasefire is the only way to ensure the release of the hostages always retained by Hamas”, underlines Emmanuel Macron, thus linking for the first time in such a direct way the end of the fighting and the release of the captives.
The French president also insists on the humanitarian emergency in Gaza. “The opening of all the passage of humanitarian aid is a vital necessity for the civilian populations of Gaza,” he said, before talking about his recent visit to El-Arish, Egypt. “I saw her in El-Arish, this help is blocked on the other side of the border. It must reach civilians as quickly as possible,” he insists.
While the United Nations and many NGOs denounce a risk of famine in Gaza, Emmanuel Macron believes that “the ordeal experienced by the civilian populations of Gaza must end”.
The French head of state says hoping “that the next hours will allow such a decision and the release of other hostages”, drawing the stages of an upcoming political process: “cease-fire, release of all hostages, humanitarian aid, then reopening of a two-state political solution”.
Finally, Emmanuel Macron recalls the holding next June of the International Peace conference, which France will co -organize with Saudi Arabia in the UN. “It is in this context that I envisage the June conference, taking into account the security interests of Israel and all in the region,” he said.
The president concludes his message with a direct call: “Peace, as quickly as possible”.
While Israeli bombings continue and negotiations trample, Emmanuel Macron’s declaration marks a hardening of the Paris tone, without announcing new concrete measures.
As a reminder, since the resumption of hostilities on March 18, 2025, the Israeli attacks caused more than 1,500 Palestinians, bringing the total assessment to Gaza to more than 50,000 dead since the start of the conflict in October 2023. The majority of victims are civilians, including children and women. Despite the cease-fire announcement, violations persist, aggravating the already critical humanitarian situation.
As a reminder, the International Court of Justice (CIJ) ordered Israel on January 26, 2024, to prevent any act of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza and to allow access to humanitarian aid. For its part, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued, on November 21, 2024, several arrest warrants, notably against Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip.
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