At least 70 Palestinians, including children, were killed in the Gaza Strip this Sunday in intense Israeli raids against this besieged territory, where new aid was delivered on the 16th day of a war triggered by a deadly Hamas attack. President Emmanuel Macron will go to Tel Aviv this Tuesday to try to negotiate a de-escalation while China will play its role as mediator during the trip of its envoy to the Middle East to the United Arab Emirates.
Macron will discuss the creation of a Palestinian state and “stopping colonization”
Emmanuel Macron will call this Tuesday in Israel for the “resumption of a real peace process” for the creation of a Palestinian state, alongside that of Israel, which also implies “the end of colonization” in West Bank, the Elysée declared on Monday.
“The only way to be useful is: 1 – to bring solidarity to Israel 2 – to make very clear commitments against terrorist groups 3 – to reopen a political perspective”, indicated the French presidency, referring to the purposes of the head of state’s trip.
Borne calls on Israel for a “just response” to Hamas “terrorism”
On the eve of a visit by Emmanuel Macron to Israel, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called this Monday on the Jewish state for a “just response” to the “terrorism” of Palestinian Hamas, and requested a “humanitarian truce which can lead to a ceasefire”, in front of a National Assembly electrified by the positions of rebellious France.
After once again denouncing the massacres and atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7 in Israel, “a barbaric terrorist attack”, the Prime Minister sent a message to the Palestinians and the Arab world.
France calls for a “humanitarian truce” to allow the distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip, which “could lead to a ceasefire”, she declared during this special debate on the Middle East . “She is the friend of Israel, the friend of the Palestinians and she is the friend of the Arab countries of the region. It is an independent position that we have always assumed. A position that gives us a pivotal role in helping to chart the path to peace”, said Elisabeth Borne, wanting to debunk accusations of “selective indignation” coming from part of the left.
Two “suicide drones” launched by Hamas
The Israeli army announced Monday that it had “neutralized” two drones from the Gaza Strip in the south of its territory. The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas simultaneously announced on Telegram messaging that it had “launched two suicide drones” towards two military bases in southern Israel.
New humanitarian aid convoy for Gaza
A third aid convoy entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, shelled and besieged by Israel, noted AFP correspondents on the Egyptian and Palestinian sides of the Rafah crossing. Already on Saturday and Sunday, “34 trucks had crossed Rafah”, an Egyptian Red Crescent official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
These were the first convoys since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7 after an attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on Israeli soil. The UN is calling for at least 100 trucks per day for the 2.4 million Gazans deprived of everything.
Israeli raids against the Gaza Strip
At least 70 Palestinians were killed in air raids carried out overnight and Monday morning by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, according to a report from the Hamas government.
One of the strikes left 17 dead in a house in Jabaliya, in the north of the territory, while another 25 people were killed in raids in the central sector of the Gaza Strip.
Beijing’s envoy to the Middle East visits the Emirates
Chinese envoy for the Middle East, Zhai Jun, is expected in the United Arab Emirates on Monday as part of a tour of the region intended to seek an “ease” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Chinese diplomacy said . Beijing’s special envoy for the Middle East began a visit to several countries last week.
After talks in Qatar on Thursday, Zhai Jun attended the “Peace Summit” in Egypt on Saturday, where China again called for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The diplomat will participate on Monday in a meeting on relations between China and the United Arab Emirates, said a spokesperson for Chinese diplomacy, Mao Ning.
Israel accuses Hezbollah of wanting to drag Lebanon into war
The Israeli army on Sunday accused Hezbollah of seeking military escalation at the risk of dragging Lebanon into a war, after new clashes at the border, where tension has been high since the attack launched on October 7 by Hamas Palestinian in Israel.
“Hezbollah is attacking and dragging Lebanon into a war from which it will not benefit, but in which it risks losing a lot,” warned spokesperson Jonathan Conricus, on X (ex-Twitter). The last war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 left 1,200 dead on the Lebanese side, mostly civilians, and 160 on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.
A “continuous flow” of aid promised to Gaza by the United States and Israel
The Gaza Strip, besieged by the Israeli army, will be able to benefit from a “continuous flow” of aid, announced the United States, which also warned Iran against any widening of the conflict triggered by the the deadly attack by the Islamist movement Hamas against Israel.
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, on Monday called for “more aid, more quickly” for the Gaza Strip, besieged by the Israeli army, saying, personally, that he was in favor of the humanitarian ceasefire. demanded by UN boss Antonio Guterres.
Western leaders reiterate support for Israel
US President Joe Biden and the leaders of the main Western powers, with whom he spoke, reiterated their support for Israel on Sunday, while calling for respect for international humanitarian law, according to a White House report.
Joe Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the White House said.