PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday he was angered by the shooting of more than 100 Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid in Gaza and demanded “truth and justice” regarding the role of Israeli soldiers in the incident.
Gaza health authorities said Israeli forces on Thursday shot dead more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for an aid delivery. Israel blamed the deaths on crowds that surrounded aid trucks, saying victims had been trampled or run over.
“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,” Macron said in a post on X.
He said it was imperative for an immediate ceasefire in the war to be put in place.
Speaking on France Inter radio on Friday, Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said Paris would back the United Nations’ call for an independent investigation.
Meanwhile, the US vetoed a UN Security Council statement drafted by Algeria, which blamed Israeli forces for the tragic deaths of over 100 Palestinians during an aid convoy incident in Gaza.
The draft sought to express “deep concern” over the casualties attributed to Israeli gunfire, a claim the IDF disputes, pointing instead to a deadly stampede as the primary cause. This decision has spotlighted the US’s stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza, amidst widespread international calls for a ceasefire and an independent investigation into the incident.
