2023-10-22 23:58:00
The visit is official and the appointment is made in Tel Aviv, Tuesday October 24. Two weeks after the attacks by the terrorist group Hamas in Israel, Emmanuel Macron announced his visit to the Hebrew state to meet Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister. Confirmed by the Élysée on Sunday October 22, this announcement follows the message posted by the head of the Israeli government on X (formerly Twitter). He indeed informed of the arrival of the French head of state, as well as that of Mark Rutte, his Dutch counterpart.
The latest report shows 30 French nationals died during the attacks and seven French people are still missing: a young woman has hostage status and “for the other six there is a presumption of hostage-taking but without certainty”, indicated Emmanuel Macron. American President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have already visited Israel, as has Italian head of government Giorgia Meloni on Saturday.
“Get useful items”
Emmanuel Macron for his part repeated on Friday that he would go to the Middle East if he managed to “obtain useful elements” for the region thanks to this trip.
He then cited, among these elements, the “security of Israel”, the “fight against terrorist groups”, the non-escalation of the conflict and the resumption of a “political process” towards a two-state solution, Israeli and Palestinian.
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The French president expressed unfailing support for the Israelis, their “right to defend themselves”, but also called for a “targeted” Israeli response against Hamas in Gaza in order to “spare” Palestinian civilians. Joe Biden discussed the war between Hamas and Israel on the phone on Sunday with Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Justin Trudeau, Olaf Scholz, Giorgia Meloni and Rishi Sunak.
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