PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron, pointing out that his country was not delivering any weapons to Israel, has urged a halt to arms deliveries to Israel.

According to Macron the people of Lebanon could face a similar fate as those in Gaza. Terming his call apropos halting sales of weapons used in Gaza a disgrace, Netanyahu claimed that Israel would win with or without their support.

Earlier, in Sept, 2024, while speaking at UNGA session Macron stated:

I know that for many of you, what matters most, above and beyond these wars, is also, and matters for us too, the situation in Gaza, where the fate of the Palestinian people, which looms over all our debates, is at stake.

On a subject as complex as this, I want to very clearly restate the position that France has held since day one.

We strongly condemn the terrible, unprecedented terrorist attack against Israel that Hamas decided and carried out on 7 October.

Terrorism is unacceptable, regardless of the causes, and we mourn the victims of the Hamas attacks on 7 October, which included 48 French citizens.

I would like to express my thoughts of compassion and friendship to all the families living with the grief of losing children, parents or friends on 7 October.

We also call, again, solemnly, for the release of the hostages. Several French citizens remain among them.

And I would like to commend the efforts of the United States of America, Egypt and Qatar to obtain their release. That remains a priority for all of us.

In the face of this terrorist attack, Israel has the legitimate right to protect its citizens and to make sure that Hamas no longer has the means to attack it again. None of us would have suffered the attacks on 7 October without acting accordingly.

That said, Israel’s war in Gaza has gone on for too long. The tens of thousands of Palestinian civilian casualties cannot be justified or explained away. Too many innocent people have died and we mourn them as well.

Those deaths, too, are an outrage for humanity and a dangerous source of hatred and resentment that threatens, and will continue to threaten, the security of everyone in the future, including Israel.

This war must therefore end and a ceasefire must be achieved as quickly as possible, along with the release of the hostages and a massive flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

This has been our position since October 2023, as, with many of you who are here, we have pushed resolutions, and as we held the first Humanitarian Conference for Gaza in Paris in November. Today, this is a matter of political will, given the destruction of the military capabilities of Hamas.

It is absolutely crucial for a new phase to begin in Gaza, for the weapons to fall silent, for humanitarian workers to return, and for civilian populations to be protected. France will take part in any plan that saves lives and ensures everyone’s security.

The deployment of an international mission must open the way for the implementation of the two-State solution.

It is up to the UN Security Council to rule in this respect and steps also need to be taken without further delay to preserve the link between Gaza and the West Bank, to restore the functions of the Palestinian Authority and to enable the reconstruction of the territory – simply to make life possible there again.

France will work to ensure that everything possible is done to ensure that the Palestinians finally have their own State, existing side by side with Israel. The conditions for a just and lasting peace are well known.

What’s left is to create a pathway for it, one that must be as short as possible. France will therefore act in accordance with its commitment to the two-State solution and will revive its efforts to make that happen at last for the benefit of both peoples so that they can fulfil their legitimate aspirations…

– to bring about a Palestinian State, to provide Israel with all the necessary security guarantees, to ensure the mutual recognition and security guarantees for everyone in the region.

In the coming weeks, we will work on this with the Israelis and Palestinians, and with all our regional and international partners.

In the immediate term, as we speak, the primary risk is escalation. My fraternal thoughts go out to Lebanon and its people. Hezbollah has for too long been taking the intolerable risk of dragging Lebanon into war.

Israel, meanwhile, cannot extend its operations in Lebanon without consequences. France calls on all parties to respect their obligations along the Blue Line.

We will therefore act to foster the emergence of an essential diplomatic path to spare civil populations and avert an regional explosion. There must not be and cannot be a war in Lebanon.

That is why we are forcefully calling on Israel to cease escalation in Lebanon and on Hezbollah to cease firing at Israel. We are forcefully calling on all those who provide them with the means to continue to cease doing so.

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