Macron offers ‘shoulder to shoulder’ support to Israel in fight against Hamas

• Macron vows not to leave Israel isolated in fight against Hamas.
• French president meets families of French victims of Oct 7 attacks.
• Herzog calls Macron’s visit “clear expression of solidarity”.
  

French President Emmanuel Macron reached Tel Aviv on Tuesday to express his country’s “full solidarity” with Israel after the October 7 attacks by Hamas that have resulted in mass casualties and a humanitarian crisis.

Macron met with President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem after meeting with families of French victims upon his arrival at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv.

“France will stand in solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism,” Macron said as he met with his Israeli counterpart in Jerusalem.

“What happened will never be forgotten,” Macron said, referring to an assault on Israel in which Hamas killed over 1,400 people, among whom 30 were French nationals. “I am here to express our solidarity.”

As a result of Israeli retaliatory air strikes and bombardments, over 5,000 Palestinians including more than 2,000 children have been martyred in Gaza and more than 15,000 Palestinians have been injured, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Additionally, the horrific events in Gaza have displaced over a million Palestinians.

Macron also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Macron in particular is expected to call for a “humanitarian truce” to allow desperately needed aid into Gaza, whose 2.4 million people have been largely deprived of water, food, electricity and other basic supplies after an Israeli blockade, the Elysee Palace said prior to the meeting.

There will also probably be exchanges with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and leaders of Gulf nations, the Elysee said.

US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have already visited Israel.

‘Shoulder to shoulder’

The French head of state vowed not to leave Israel isolated in its fight against Hamas but warned against the risks of a regional conflict as he met his Israeli counterpart.

“I want you to be sure that you’re not left alone in this war against terrorism,” Macron said. “It is our duty to fight against terrorism, without any confusion and without enlarging this conflict.”

Macron told Herzog that France stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Israel and that the first objective should be to free hostages in Gaza, Reuters reported.

Macron’s advisers said that, beyond showing solidarity with Israel, Macron wanted to make “proposals that are as operational as possible” to prevent an escalation, free hostages, guarantee Israel’s security and work towards a two-state solution.

Declining to elaborate on what these proposals could be, a Macron adviser said only that there were things that could be done so that Israel did not feel alone in its fight against “terrorism”.

The French leader also made a strong call for the release of all Israeli hostages “without any distinction,” calling it an “awful crime to play with the lives of children, adults, all people.”

Herzog thanked Macron for his visit, calling it a “clear expression of solidarity” during “trying times” for Israel.

Several French citizens remain missing, including a confirmed French woman among over 200 people Israel claims are taken hostage by Hamas. Macron claims others are also believed to be hostages, but no confirmation has been received.

Macron reached the Israeli capital after more than two weeks the Israel-Hamas conflict began.