Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron who is visiting the West Bank, called for an immediate halt to the "aggression" on Gaza and for the protection of the Palestinian people. Abbas stated that "Israel has killed 800 Palestinians in Gaza in the past twenty-four hours," and continued: "We have called for the release of detainees from both sides, and we demand a complete ceasefire and the opening of permanent corridors to deliver aid and fuel to the Gaza Strip." The Palestinian president emphasized that "the Gaza Strip is part of the land of Palestine and we reject any partial or security solutions," adding: "We recognize the State of Israel and its right to exist, and it must recognize the right of the State of Palestine to exist."
For his part, Macron stated that "nothing justifies violence, and my condolences to all victims of the cycle of violence," noting that the Hamas attack is a tragedy for Israelis and has also been catastrophic for Palestinians, and that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people; the extortion practiced by Hamas is unacceptable. He emphasized that the second principle is to protect people and the third principle is to resume the political process. He added: "I see the suffering of civilians in Gaza, and there is no justification for it; civilian lives have the same value, and we stand by the 170 French citizens in Gaza who are living through this tragedy." The French president said he "requested from the Israeli Prime Minister to restore electricity and allow humanitarian aid convoys to pass, and we want to move forward with President Sisi to deliver aid and protect the vulnerable and civilians."
