French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday called for a halt in deliveries of arms used in Gaza to Israel, adding that France was not sending arms to Israel.
“I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop delivering weapons to fight in Gaza,” Macron said in an interview on the French radio show “Etcetera” on France Inter, per POLITICO.
This comes as Israel had previously faced criticism surrounding its retaliation in Gaza following Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel last year. Since then, tensions in the Middle East have heightened as Iranian-backed Hezbollah — a Lebanese militant group — and Israeli forces have been in a nearly yearlong cross-border conflict, which is tied to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Macron said that as the potential threat of a wider regional conflict increases, the priority should be to “avoid escalation.”
Macron also called for a cease-fire during a press conference following the Francophonie Summit.
“An immediate ceasefire is essential in Gaza as in Lebanon. We must avoid the escalation of tensions, protect civilian populations, free the hostages and find political solutions necessary for the security of Israel and all,” he wrote in translated comments in a post on X.
Continuing without a cease-fire also puts Israel’s security at risk, he argued.
“I think we are not being heard,” Macron said, according to Le Monde. “I think it is a mistake, including for the security of Israel.”
“Lebanon cannot become a new Gaza,” he added, per Le Monde, warning of the potential consequences of the heightening tensions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later criticized Macron’s comments, calling on other countries to support Israel in a video message posted to X.
“As Israel fights the forces of barbarism led by Iran, all civilized countries should be standing firmly by Israel’s side. Yet, President Macron and some other Western leaders are now calling for an arms embargo against Israel. Shame on them,” Netanyahu said.
Macron reportedly responded with a statement that claimed that France is a “steadfast friend of Israel” but described Netanyahu’s reaction as “excessive and detached from the friendship between France and Israel,” according to the Times of Israel.
Congress has allocated about $3 billion to $4 billion per year to Israel since the 1970s. In August, Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved about $20 billion in possible weapons to Israel, according to the State Department.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration halted a shipment of ammunition for Israel. Last month, the United Kingdom suspended some arms sales to Israel, citing a risk the weapons pose in violating international humanitarian law.
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