FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has called for a halt on arms deliveries to Israel which has been bombing Gaza for a year now, and recently launched a military operation against Lebanon.
“I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza,” Macron told broadcaster France Inter on Saturday.
“France is not delivering any [weapon],” he added during the interview recorded early this week.
While France is not a leading weapons provider for Israel, its voice as a key player in the European Union and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council carries significant influence amid international efforts to reach a political solution to the conflict in Gaza.
In September, the United Kingdom also announced that it was suspending some arms exports to Israel, citing a “clear risk” that they could be used in a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
Macron reiterated his concern over Israel’s catastrophic attacks on Gaza which continue despite repeated calls for a ceasefire.
“I think we are not being heard. I think it is a mistake, including for the security of Israel,” he said, adding that the conflict was leading to “hatred”.
Macron also criticised Netanyahu’s decision to send troops into ground operations in Lebanon, saying the priority should be to “avoid escalation”.
“The Lebanese people must not in turn be sacrificed, Lebanon cannot become another Gaza,” he said.
Macron’s remarks provoked an angry response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called them a “disgrace”.
