Lt’s time for dialogue between Emmanuel Macron and Benyamin Netanyahu, as France calls for a ceasefire while Israel continues its military operations. This Sunday, while Israeli aerial bombardments hit the southern suburbs of Beirut after a night of intensive raids, the two leaders spoke “in complete frankness”, according to the Élysée.
In a press release published at the end of their exchange, Emmanuel Macron estimated that “the time for a ceasefire has now come”, reaffirming his call for an end to deliveries of weapons used in the fighting in Gaza. This declaration had already provoked the anger of Benjamin Netanyahu the day before, who strongly criticized the position of the French president.
This Sunday, the two men discussed at length the situation in the Middle East, marking notable differences, but in a spirit of friendship between France and Israel, said the Élysée.
ALSO READ Stopping arms deliveries to Israel: the Élysée judges Netanyahu’s reaction “excessive” Benjamin Netanyahu maintained his firm line, reiterating that Israel expected “unfailing support” from its allies, and not restrictions. “We expect friends of Israel to support it and not impose restrictions that will only strengthen the Iranian axis of evil,” he declared during his interview with Emmanuel Macron.
Solidarity with Israel, but call for peace
On the eve of the first anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel, Emmanuel Macron reiterated the “solidarity of the French people with the Israeli people”, while expressing his conviction that a truce was an urgent necessity to avoid further escalation. For his part, Netanyahu insisted that the goal of the war against Hezbollah was to “bring stability” to the entire region.
On Monday, demonstrations of solidarity with the victims of the October 7 attacks are planned across the world. In Israel, President Isaac Herzog will preside over a ceremony in Sderot, one of the cities hardest hit by Hamas attacks, which left 1,205 dead, mostly civilians, as stated Release.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari announced a strengthening of security measures in Israel, particularly in anticipation of possible attacks during the commemorations. “We are ready to increase our forces to provide security during these events,” he said on television.
Israel currently finds itself engaged on several fronts, with fighting against Hamas in Gaza and ground operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, launched last Monday. At the same time, the Jewish state warned of a possible massive response in response to a missile attack launched by Iran last Tuesday, highlighting the complexity and seriousness of the regional situation.
