Paris firmly opposed to an offensive on Rafah. French President Emmanuel Macron raised his voice on Sunday March 24 towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that “the forced transfer of population constituted a war crime” while the Jewish state is preparing a ground offensive in this southern city of Gaza where more than two million Palestinians are crowded together.
During a telephone interview with the head of the Israeli government, the French leader also "strongly condemned the recent Israeli announcements regarding colonization" while Israel announced on Friday the seizure of 800 hectares of land in the occupied West Bank.
He also informed Benjamin Netanyahu of his intention to bring a draft resolution to the UN Security Council to call for “an immediate and lasting ceasefire”.
Moscow and Beijing opposed a similar resolution proposal from Washington on Friday, denouncing in particular a "hypocritical" text.
Opening of “all crossing points”
Five and a half months of devastating war have plunged the Gaza Strip into a catastrophic humanitarian situation.
The French president insisted that Israel open “without delay and without conditions all existing land crossing points to the Gaza Strip.”
Also read: The “Philadelphia Corridor”: a goal for Netanyahu, a red line for Egypt
The war broke out on October 7 after an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israeli soil that resulted in the deaths of at least 1,160 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli sources.
According to these sources, around 250 people were kidnapped and 130 of them are still hostages in Gaza, of whom 33 are believed to have died.
In retaliation, Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas in power in Gaza since 2007. Its army launched an offensive which left 32,226 dead in Gaza, according to the latest report from the Islamist movement's Ministry of Health.
With AFP
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