Emmanuel Macron condemns Israel's US-backed strikes on Gaza

Paris: Condemning the Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, which breached the ceasefire deal and mercilessly killed more than 400 people, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the attacks were a dramatic step backwards for peace efforts. He urged an immediate cessation of hostilities, Xinhua news agency reported.

The President said that it is tragic for the Palestinians in Gaza as well as hostages and families. Gazans are once again plunged into the terror of bombing. The new escalation is tragic to the entire region, which is trying to recover after more than a year of war and upheaval, Macron said.

He said hostilities must be stopped, and negotiations must resume in good faith. He was also impressed that no Israeli military solution, colonization, annexation, or forced displacement could be accepted in Gaza and urged the warring parties to find a political resolution.

King Abdullah II of Jordan, who was visiting France, had shared the stage with Macron while he was addressing a press conference. Abdullah warned that Israel resuming attacks on Gaza is an extremely dangerous step that adds further devastation to an already dire humanitarian situation. He urged the international community to act immediately and collectively restore the ceasefire.

Early on Tuesday, Israeli forces rained fire across the enclave of the Gaza Strip, killing at least 400 people. It also announced that it would escalate its offensive if Hamas continued stoppage on the release of its hostages. The attack, backed by Donald Trump’s America, dissolved a two-month-long ceasefire in a jiffy.