French President Emmanuel Macron proposed today, Tuesday, to expand the scope of the international coalition fighting the "ISIS" organization in Iraq and Syria to also include the fight against the "Hamas" movement in Gaza. Macron did not provide details on how the U.S.-led coalition, which includes dozens of countries, would participate in the fight against Hamas. Israel is not a member of the coalition. However, his advisors stated that the coalition's participation does not necessarily mean having ground forces but may include exchanging intelligence information.
Macron, standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, emphasized that France and Israel consider terrorism as their "common enemy." He told reporters, referring to ISIS, that "France is ready for the international coalition against ISIS, in which we participate in operations in Iraq and Syria, to fight Hamas as well."
Macron also warned of the dangers of a regional conflict, stressing that the fight against Hamas "must be ruthless but not without rules." Netanyahu did not directly comment on Macron's proposal but stated that the fight is a battle between the "axis of evil" and the "free world." He added, "This battle is not ours alone... it's everyone's battle."
The coalition fighting the ISIS organization was formed in September 2014. Macron's office stated that the idea is to draw inspiration from the coalition and that France is willing to discuss with Israel and its partners issues that may be relevant to confronting Hamas. It added that "the international coalition against ISIS is not limited to ground operations, but also includes training Iraqi forces and exchanging information among partners and combating the financing of terrorism."
Macron also met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank, demonstrating his desire to strike a balance. In Ramallah, Macron stated that the attack by Hamas was not only shocking to Israel but was a disaster for the Palestinian people. He asserted that "the life of a Palestinian is worth the same as the life of a French person and the life of an Israeli," emphasizing the importance of the two-state solution, which he described as essential to prevent Palestinians from following "the mirage of the most extremist terrorist groups."
Abbas, who said that France's voice is respected in the region, called for an immediate end to the "aggression" on Gaza and for the provision of protection for the Palestinians. However, some residents took to the streets of Ramallah to protest Macron's visit, burning his images. One sign read, "Macron, stop your support for Israel."
