Israel / Gaza: Macron and Sisi "stress the absolute need to end hostilities"
French President Emmanuel Macron received Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi at the Elysee Palace on May 17, 2021. REUTERS - POOL
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
French Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Egyptian Presidents Abdel Fattah al-Sissi together stressed on Monday "the absolute need to end hostilities" in the Middle East, "shared their strong concern at the escalation of ongoing violence and deplored the many victims civilians, ”announced the French presidency.
Publicity
Read more
French Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Egyptian Presidents Abdel Fattah al-Sissi together stressed on Monday "
the absolute need to end hostilities
" in the Middle East, "
shared their strong concern at the escalation of ongoing violence and deplored the many victims civilians,
”announced the French presidency.
At the end of a bilateral meeting, the French president "renewed his support for Egyptian mediation" and the two heads of state agreed "
to continue to coordinate to promote a rapid ceasefire and prevent the conflict does not spread
”, indicates the Elysee.
Mediation is underway which includes Egypt, Jordan as well as Germany, with the support of France, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on RTL radio on Monday morning.
Read also Middle East: Egypt attempts mediation and opens its borders to the wounded from Gaza
According to diplomatic sources, the UN began on Monday, with the help of Qatar and Egypt, a mediation to obtain a de-escalation.
“
There has been a diplomatic offensive in recent days, which will continue in the coming hours.
We support the idea of Egyptian mediation because both Egyptians and Jordanians speak to everyone in the region,
”explained Gabriel Attal.
“
Our objectives are first of all the ceasefire as quickly as possible and then the ability to find a lasting stabilization solution for the region.
This is what we are going to work on, in particular with the Egyptians, the Jordanians and the Germans,
”added the spokesperson for the French government.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian recalled, for his part, that "
the response to these unacceptable attacks must remain proportionate, within the framework of international law",
indicated the Quai d'Orsay. He also declared that
"the safety of journalists and all those whose expression contributes to free information and public debate, as well as their protection in times of conflict, is an essential responsibility
", in response to the Israeli attack. which destroyed a
building in Gaza that housed offices for al-Jazeera and Associated Press media
.
Interview with my Egyptian counterpart Sameh Choukry.
Close Franco-Egyptian coordination in the face of the Middle East crisis.
Convergence of French efforts and Egyptian mediation, to allow the cessation of hostilities and avoid the extension of the conflict.
pic.twitter.com/kYwAs3WHCy
- Jean-Yves Le Drian (@JY_LeDrian) May 17, 2021
On Friday, Emmanuel Macron called for a “return to peace” in the Middle East, stressing during an interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel's “right to defend itself” while saying “his concern about civilian populations in Gaza ”.
On Thursday, he spoke with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and "strongly condemned the shooting claimed by Hamas and other terrorist groups" while offering "his condolences" for the "numerous losses of Palestinian civilians resulting from the operations. military and ongoing clashes with Israel ”.
Egypt, which has signed a peace treaty with Israel and shares its border with Gaza, regularly mediates conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians.
This bilateral meeting between the French and Egyptian heads of state took place just before the start of an international conference on Sudanese debt relief in Paris, which brings together several African, European and Gulf leaders as well as representatives international organizations.
(With AFP)
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
France
Egypt
Israel
Gaza