France may toughen stance on Israel if it continues blocking Gaza aid, Macron says
[SINGAPORE] France could harden its position on Israel if it continues to block humanitarian aid to Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday(May 30), reiterating that Paris was committed to a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
'The humanitarian blockade is creating a situation that is untenable on the ground,' Macron said at a joint press conference in Singapore with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
'And so, if there is no response that meets the humanitarian situation in the coming hours and days, obviously, we will have to toughen our collective position,' Macron said, adding that France may consider applying sanctions against Israeli settlers.
'But I still hope that the government of Israel will change its stance and that we will finally have a humanitarian response'.
Under growing international pressure, Israel partially ended an 11-week long aid blockade on Gaza last week, allowing a limited amount of relief to be delivered under a system that has been heavily criticised.
Israel's foreign ministry said the assertion that there was a humanitarian blockade of Gaza was 'a blatant lie'. It said nearly 900 aid trucks had entered the Gaza Strip since the blockade was eased and the new U.S.-backed system had distributed 2 million meals and thousands of aid packages.
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'But instead of applying pressure on the jihadist terrorists, Macron wants to reward them with a Palestinian state,' the ministry said in a statement.
Macron said Paris is committed to working towards a political solution and reiterated his support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
The existence of a Palestinian state 'is not just simply a moral duty but also a political necessity,' Macron told reporters in Singapore, in comments broadcast on French TV.
Macron is leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state, diplomats and experts say, a move that could infuriate Israel and deepen Western splits.
French officials are weighing up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting in June, to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to a Hamas attack in its south on October 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
The war since then has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities say. REUTERS
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