From the Liveblog of
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Macron also speaks to PA’s Abbas, urges him to condemn Hamas’s October 7 assault
In addition to speaking to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, French President Emmanuel Macron also speaks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
In their conversation, Macron condemns violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, the French presidency says.
Macron also tells Abbas of “the need for the Palestinian Authority and all countries in the region to unequivocally and with the greatest firmness condemn the terrorist attack carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7.”
Netanyahu has repeatedly pointed to Abbas’s refusal to condemn the assault as the reason the PA cannot be entrusted with ruling the Gaza Strip following the war.
The French presidency says that Macron told Netanyahu there are “too many civilian losses” in Gaza.
Macron, whose country is a firm ally of Israel, reminded Netanyahu of the “absolute necessity to distinguish terrorists from the population” and “the importance of achieving an immediate humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire.”
The French leader also tells Netanyahu of his “great concern over the escalation in violence against Palestinian civilians” in the West Bank and called for calm.
The Times of Israel Community.