French President, Macron Arrives Israel To Show “Full Solidarity”

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Israel on Tuesday to express his country’s “full solidarity” following the October 7 Hamas attack, Naija News reports.

Macron visited Tel Aviv, where he met with families of French and French-Israeli nationals killed in the Hamas attack or being held hostage by terrorists in Gaza.

According to the French presidency, Macron is later due to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express France’s “full solidarity” with Israel.

Macron’s visit follows that of the US President, Joe Biden’s, last week after the Palestinian terror group Hamas stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7 and killed at least 1,400, with another 224 held as captures.

According to AFP, the French President is also expected to call for the “preservation of the civilian population” in Gaza amid Israel’s relentless bombardment and as it prepares for a ground invasion of the overcrowded Palestinian enclave.

Macron and Netanyahu were due to hold a joint press conference at 1 pm Israel time.

The report also reveals that he would meet in Jerusalem with President Isaac Herzog, as well as with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid and now-minister Benny Gantz, whose opposition National Unity party joined the coalition to form an emergency war cabinet.

Macron is also expected to travel to the West Bank to meet Palestinian Authorities, President Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah. There will also probably be exchanges with King Abdullah II of Jordan, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, and leaders of Gulf nations, the Elysee said.

Macron will, in particular, call for a “humanitarian truce” to allow desperately needed aid into Gaza, whose 2.4 million people have been deprived mainly of water, food, electricity, and other basic supplies after an Israeli blockade, the Elysee Palace said.

Apart from US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have already visited Israel.