2023-11-09 06:00:08
Emmanuel Macron during a press conference, in Cairo, October 25, 2023. CHRISTOPHE ENA / AFP
While Israel’s response against Hamas intensifies in the Gaza Strip, the holding of a humanitarian conference for the benefit of the population of the enclave, Thursday, November 9, at the Elysée, has all of a delicate bet.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers The Israeli army intensifies its strikes on Gaza, plunging civilians into terror and hunger
Set up in less than a week at the request of Emmanuel Macron, the meeting is based on a simple observation: “Mobilize the international community to achieve tangible results and respond to the most urgent needs”, justified the Presidency of the Republic on Wednesday. But in the midst of war, a little more than a month after the Hamas terrorist attacks against the Jewish state – they left 1,400 dead and more than 240 hostages on October 7 – the initiative raises many doubts.
On the eve of the conference, Mr. Macron and French officials had a lot to do to convince people of the advisability of such an event, while Israel refuses any idea of a ceasefire, or even of humanitarian pause, in the fighting in the Gaza Strip – they left more than 10,300 dead according to the report from the Ministry of Health of the enclave controlled by Hamas, ” thousands “ according to the Pentagon.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Israel-Hamas war: Emmanuel Macron’s big diplomatic gap
“The fight against Hamas must be carried out with respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of the civilian population”recalls the entourage of the Head of State, where we recognize that“Today, there are too many civilian victims” Palestinians. But the Elysée is careful not to call for a ceasefire, in the name of Israel’s right to defend itself. This position sparked an outcry in Arab capitals, to the point that some French officials feared a form of boycott of the conference.
Obtain “tangible results”
In this tense context, the list of some 80 participating states and organizations was only revealed late Wednesday afternoon. The Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammed Shtayyeh, is expected, and not Mahmoud Abbas, its president. No head of state from the region’s countries will make the trip, two days before an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia. Israel was not invited but will be kept informed of the discussions, French officials assure.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers “It is towards a discredited Palestinian Authority that Americans and Europeans are turning today, for lack of anything better, to find lasting peace”
If the leaders of the European states most favorable to the Palestinian cause – Ireland, Greece, Cyprus – will be in Paris, the others, including Germany and Italy, will be represented at a ministerial or even diplomatic level. As for the United States, they are sending the Undersecretary of State for Civil Security and Human Rights, Uzra Zeya. NGOs, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), multilateral agencies, such as the United Nations Office for Palestinian Refugees (UNWRA), will be present.
You have 50% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
#midst #war #Israel #Hamas #risky #bet #conference #Elysée #humanitarian #aid #Gaza