Macron seeks justice for Palestinians shot dead in Gaza
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his anger at Israeli forces gunning down a large crowd of starving Palestinians in Gaza City on March 1, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
Residents of the city, who have en masse been deprived of food, were attempting to pull flour and cooking oil from an aid convoy before the IDF had opened fire on them on February 29. The provisional death toll stands at 112 and hundreds more were injured.
The attack quickly attracted condemnation from world leaders as well as the United Nations whose Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths affirmed that he was “appalled at the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people during a transfer of aid supplies”.
The targeting of hundreds at the heart of the besieged enclave comes as reports have found that one in four households are enduring conditions akin to famine and that dogs are feasting on decomposing human remains.
A day after the horrific events, the French head wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Deep indignation at the images reaching us from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers.
READ: Witnesses claim Israel fired at crowd waiting for aid
“I express my strongest disapproval of these shots and demand truth, justice and respect for international law.”
Mr Macron’s condemnation was mirrored by Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne who called the targeting of civilians in Gaza City, and in the enclave over a period of five months more generally, “unacceptable”.
On prominent radio station France Inter, Sejourne said that Paris would be fully supportive of the UN’s call for an investigation into “last night’s (February 29) unjustifiable events in Gaza.”
The minister added that the international community should be consistent and fully condemn the Gaza killing spree as well as Hamas’ attacks in southern Israel on October 7.
France (and other EU countries) as well as Japan, Australia, Canada, Israel, the US and the UK have officially designated Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
AA/ Al Jazeera
