2024-10-06 10:03:01
French President Emmanuel Macron announced today the suspension of arms supplies to Israel to be used in the Gaza conflict, France Press and BTA reported.
“I think the priority today is to return to a political solution, to stop the supply of weapons for fighting in Gaza,” he said in a special program on France Enter radio dedicated to the Francophonie.
“France is not delivering anything,” he added in the interview, recorded on October 1.
US President Joe Biden has so far refused to use that leverage against Israel, except in May when he halted the delivery of bombs.
For its part, Britain announced in September that it was suspending around 30 of a total of 350 arms export licenses to Israel after a review concluded there was a “risk” they would be used in breach of international humanitarian law in the conflict. between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The French president expressed regret that there has been no progress in Gaza despite all diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire, especially with regard to Israel.
“I think we were not heard. I said it again to Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu and I think it’s a mistake, including for the future security of Israel,” Macron said.
“We see it clearly in the public opinion in our country and in an even more terrible way in the public opinion in the region, it is at the root of a discontent that is still being born, a hatred that is fueled by it,” he added.
After the start of the Israeli operation against the pro-Iranian Islamist movement “Hezbollah” in Lebanon, Macron also repeated that “the priority is to avoid escalation”.
“The Lebanese people in turn cannot be sacrificed and Lebanon cannot become a new Gaza,” he noted.