French President Emmanuel Macron opened a Gaza aid conference on Thursday with an appeal for Israel to protect civilians as it fights Hamas, saying “all lives have equal worth” and that fighting terrorism “can never be carried out without rules.”
The gathering in Paris brought together officials from Western and Arab nations, the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, with the aim of providing urgent aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip that is being pounded by Israel in its war against Hamas. Israeli authorities weren’t participating in the talks, Mr. Macron’s office said.
While stressing the need to protect the civilians, Mr. Macron said “Fighting terrorism can never be carried out without rules. Israel knows that, the trap of terrorism is for all of us the same: giving in to violence and renouncing out values”.
For the unversed, more than 1.5 million people which accounts 70 per cent of Gaza’s population have fled their homes, and an estimated $1.2 billion is needed to respond to the crisis in Palestinian areas.
The White House said Israel has agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in its assault on Hamas in northern Gaza starting on November 9, as the Biden administration said it has secured a second pathway for civilians to flee fighting.
US Secretary Blinken had warned last week that it risked destroying an eventual possibility for peace unless it acted swiftly to improve humanitarian conditions for peace unless it acted swiftly to improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza for Palestinian civilians as it intensifies its war against Hamas.
In a blunt call for Israel to pause military operations in the territory to allow for the immediate and increased delivery of assistance, Mr. Blinken said the situation would drive Palestinians toward further radicalism and effectively end prospects for any eventual resumption of peace talks to end the conflict.