The French President, Emmanuel Macron, expressed his anger on Friday, March 1, over the killing of more than 100 Palestinians in Gaza who were seeking humanitarian relief. He called for “truth and justice” regarding the involvement of Israeli forces in the incident.
According to Gaza health officials, Israeli soldiers shot over 100 Palestinians on Thursday while they were waiting for supplies. Israel contended that the deaths resulted from people being run over or trampled, placing responsibility on the crowd surrounding the relief vehicles.
President Macron took to social media, stating, “Deep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers. I express my strongest condemnation of these shootings and call for truth, justice, and respect for international law.” He urged an immediate end to the fighting and the implementation of a ceasefire.
France’s Foreign Minister supported the UN’s call for an impartial inquiry, declaring on France Inter Radio that the situation was inexcusable and unjustified. He emphasized the need for an end to the humanitarian crisis and endorsed an independent investigation.
France, according to the minister, would not apply “double standards” in the Middle East conflict, acknowledging the designation of Hamas as a terrorist group but insisting on accountability for atrocities in Gaza. If an inquiry determines that the Israeli actions constitute a war crime, he affirmed that it would become a matter for the judiciary.
