French President Emmanuel Macron issued a strong warning Friday that France could toughen its stance on Israel, including the possible imposition of sanctions against Israeli settlers, if humanitarian aid to Gaza continues to be obstructed.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Singapore with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Macron described the ongoing blockade of aid to Gaza as a growing humanitarian disaster. “The humanitarian blockade is creating a situation that is untenable on the ground,” he said.
“If there is no response that meets the humanitarian situation in the coming hours and days, obviously, we will have to toughen our collective position,” Macron stated, suggesting a potential escalation in France’s diplomatic response. “But I still hope that the government of Israel will change its stance and that we will finally have a humanitarian response.”
His comments come as Israel faces intensifying global criticism over its handling of humanitarian access to Gaza, where aid groups have warned of widespread famine and medical collapse following months of siege. Although Israel partially eased an 11-week blockade last week, the limited delivery of aid under the revised system has drawn sharp criticism for being inadequate.
Support for Two-State Solution and Palestinian State Recognition
Reaffirming France’s long-standing support for a two-state solution, Macron emphasized that the recognition of a Palestinian state is not merely a “moral duty” but also a “political necessity.” He added that France remains committed to facilitating a long-term political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
According to diplomats, Macron is leaning toward formally recognizing a Palestinian state, a decision that would mark a significant policy shift and could provoke tensions with Israel. French officials are said to be weighing this move ahead of a UN conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, scheduled for June 17–20.
The aim of the conference is to define a roadmap toward Palestinian statehood while ensuring Israeli security — a balancing act that has long stymied international diplomacy.
This is the second of three articles examining Georgia’s growing crisis over access to treatment for Duchenn...
The U.S. imposed fresh Iran sanctions as President Donald Trump called Tehran’s peace response a “stupid proposal” and warned the...
The hantavirus-hit MV Hondius has departed Tenerife bound for the Netherlands after the final six passengers and some crew left the ship. In Spain,...
Travellers worried about costs and flights by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are changing their summer holid...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top storie...
French President Emmanuel Macron opened France’s first-ever business summit in an English-speaking African nation on Monday (11 May), as Paris seeks to strengthen ties across the continent following a decline in influence in several former French colonies.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has warned that France risks undermining the self-determination rights of the Kanak Indigenous People in New Caledonia amid proposed political and constitutional reforms.
Azerbaijan says political pressure and what it describes as biased rhetoric from some European institutions are complicating peace efforts with Armenia and undermining neutrality in the negotiations.
European leaders gathered in Yerevan on 4–5 May for the European Political Community (EPC) summit and the first EU–Armenia summit, placing the South Caucasus and its fragile peace process at the centre of regional diplomacy.
Australia confirmed it will repatriate citizens from the MV Hondius cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak, with quarantine on arrival. Spain, France are evacuating nationals as three deaths are confirmed. In the U.S., two passengers have been isolated after testing positive for the virus.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal as a “stupid proposal,” saying Tehran failed to commit to abandoning its pursuit of a nuclear weapon, while warning the fragile ceasefire was on “massive life support”.
The U.S. imposed fresh Iran sanctions as President Donald Trump called Tehran’s peace response a “stupid proposal” and warned the ceasefire was on “massive life support”. Meanwhile, the Wall Streeet Journal reported the United Arab Emirates carried out covert strikes on Iran in April.
Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku has been elected the 142nd head of the Georgian Orthodox Church at a meeting of clergy in Tbilisi following the death of longtime Patriarch Ilia II.
Afghanistan has signed a five-year gold mining contract with Afghan and Azerbaijani companies in a deal worth more than $20m, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has said.
This is the second of three articles examining Georgia’s growing crisis over access to treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a fatal genetic disease affecting around 100 children in the country.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (11 May) that the fragile ceasefire with Iran was “on life support” after he dismissed Tehran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal, raising fears the 10-week conflict could reignite and further disrupt global energy supplies.
Around 100 boys in Georgia are living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy - a disease that has never allowed a child to grow old. Their parents have spent weeks protesting outside government offices, saying their sons cannot wait any longer for treatment.
Iran warned of an “immediate, intense, and powerful” response to any renewed Israeli or U.S. attack, as efforts to secure an interim peace deal appeared to stall despite fresh diplomatic contacts.
Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku has been elected the 142nd head of the Georgian Orthodox Church at a meeting of clergy in Tbilisi following the death of longtime Patriarch Ilia II.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment