Egypt welcomes Macron's call to halt arms exports to Israel for use in Gaza

Ahram Online , Sunday 6 Oct 2024

Egypt welcomed on Sunday French President Emmanuel Macron's call to halt exporting arms to Israel intended for use in Gaza, citing the serious violations of international law and international humanitarian law committed by the Israeli military in both the strip and Lebanon.

Macron
France's President Emmanuel Macron holds a press conference at the end of closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. AFP

 

In a statement, the Egyptian foreign ministry said these violations have resulted in tens of thousands of civilian casualties and injuries, most of whom are women and children.

The foreign ministry affirmed that the call made by the French President is fully in line with the principles and rules of international humanitarian law and reflects the widespread and growing international discontent over the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza and Lebanon.

It called on the international community to heed Macron's call and reiterated its demand for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in both Gaza and Lebanon.

Furthermore, the foreign ministry said it valued France's supportive stance on Palestinian rights and establishing an independent, sovereign State of Palestine along the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, per the two-state solution and relevant international resolutions.

In an interview with French broadcaster France Inter, Macron on urged a halt to arms deliveries for use in Gaza to Israel.

Macron also said that on the same day, all 88 members of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), including France and Canada, called for an "immediate and lasting" ceasefire in Lebanon.

In addition, he expressed reservations Saturday about the decision of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to send troops on ground operations into Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the French president, vowing in a speech on his social media accounts Saturday night that Israel will win with or without Western leaders’ support. 

On Sunday, the office of French President Emmanuel Macron responded to the Israeli prime minister by describing his reaction as “excessive and detached from the friendship between France and Israel”.

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