PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday slammed Israel’s plans to step up its military operation in Gaza as a disaster waiting to happen and proposed an international coalition under a United Nations mandate to stabilise Gaza.
Last week, Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, in a move that expanded its military operations in the shattered Palestinian territory and drew strong criticism at home and abroad.
“The Israeli cabinet’s announcement of an expansion of its operations in Gaza City and the Mawasi camps and for a re-occupation heralds a disaster of unprecedented gravity waiting to happen and of a drift towards a never-ending war,” said Macron, in remarks sent by his office to reporters.
“The Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza will continue to be the primary victims of this strategy,” added Macron.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office did not immediately return a request for comment. Responding to international criticism in a press conference on Sunday, he said Israel is “applying force judiciously”.
By proposing a U.N.-mandated mission in Gaza, Macron is seeking to build on the momentum created by his recognition of a Palestinian state last month, which set off a domino of recognitions, with Britain and Canada following suit.
Macron said the U.N. mission would be tasked with securing the Gaza Strip, protecting civilians and working in support of unspecified Palestinian governance. He said the U.N. Security Council should work on establishing the mission.
“I have asked my teams to work on that with our partners without delay,” he added.
(Reporting by Michel Rose; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Sharon Singleton)
