French President Macron Clarifies Statements Made in BBC Interview Regarding Israel’s Actions in Gaza

The Israeli presidency announced on Sunday that French President Emmanuel Macron said in a call with his Israeli counterpart that he “did not accuse Israel of intentionally harming civilians” in Gaza, in reference to statements he made during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Isaac Herzog welcomed the call in which Macron “clarified” his statements, according to a statement issued by the Israeli presidency.

In an interview broadcast by the BBC on Friday evening, Macron urged Israel to stop the bombing that kills civilians in Gaza, saying, “In reality, today there are civilians being bombed. These children, these women, these elderly people are being bombed and killed.”

The Israeli presidency said, “Macron made it clear that he had no intention of accusing Israel of deliberately harming innocent civilians as part of the campaign against the terrorist organization Hamas,” Agence France-Presse reported.

The French President explained that his statements to the BBC “relate to the humanitarian situation, which remains an important issue for him and for many countries.”

He also “confirmed that he unequivocally supports Israel’s right and duty to defend itself and expressed his support for the war that Israel is waging against Hamas,” according to the same source.

The Israeli presidency said that Macron’s statements “caused a lot of pain and discomfort in Israel.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described it during a press conference on Saturday as “wrong in terms of the facts and the moral position.”

Netanyahu added, “Responsibility for the harm caused to civilians should not be attributed to Israel, but to Hamas.”

For its part, the French presidency said that Macron spoke with his Israeli counterpart and Minister Benny Gantz, but it did not mention the statements made by the French president to the BBC.

Macron reaffirmed “Israel’s right to defend itself” and “France’s solidarity with Israel in its war against terrorism,” and noted “again that this battle must be conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law and taking into account the protection of the civilian population,” according to the Elysee.

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2023-11-13 00:38:21