Emmanuel Macron told Israel on Sunday to end the very strikes on Gaza which Benjamin Netanyahu says are forcing Hamas terrorists to drop their demands.
Following almost a fortnight of renewed strikes, the Israeli prime minister pointed to “cracks beginning to appear” in what Hamas initially demanded in its negotiations. Netanyahu added that pressure will continue to be applied until the terror group gives up its “red line” of not laying down arms and its leaders—or, at least, those who are still alive—leave Gaza.
But following a call with the PM on the same day, French president Macron said Israel must “end the strikes on Gaza and to return to the ceasefire,” thus potentially undoing the work of the Israel Defense Forces to limit Hamas’ expectations.
Author and lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky later criticised the president for “undermining” Israel’s fight against Hamas, as well as its efforts to free the remaining hostages.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claims that around 1,000 people have been killed in the Strip since the halting of hostage releases prompted the ceasefire to break down. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri has also attacked Netanyahu’s demand to disarm as a recipe for “endless escalation.” That Zuhri later, on March 31st, called on “anyone who can bear arms, anywhere in the world” to “take action” against U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Gazans—to “not withhold an explosive, a bullet, a knife, or a stone” and to “let everyone break their silence”—might, therefore, strike some readers as at least a little hypocritical.
Hamas’ demands might also have started to crack thanks to major displays of bravery at demonstrations against the terror group in Gaza itself last week. Always to be relied upon to reveal its true horrific colours, Hamas has even been accused of torturing a protester to death and leaving his body on his family’s doorstep to deter future marches.
Separately, Trump threatened Iran with bombing and secondary tariffs on Sunday if Hamas-backing Tehran fails to reach an agreement with Washington over its nuclear program.
