France's Macron stresses importance of political solution to Mideast conflict

ANKARA

The president of France stressed the importance Wednesday of a political solution to the ongoing Mideast conflict.

The fight against terrorism, protection of civilians and a political solution to the problem are three pillars to follow, Emmanuel Macron said in a joint news conference in Cairo, with his counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Macron said France does not apply a double standard regarding victims of the conflict.

"The international law applies to everyone. France has always supported the universal values of humanism. All lives matter and there is no hierarchy. All victims deserve our compassion, our engagement in a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East," he said.

Marcon said France would send medical material aboard a plane that will land in Egypt.

France will also soon dispatch a ship of its National Marine to support hospitals in Gaza, he added.

Al-Sisi warned that an Israeli ground attack in the Gaza Strip could result in a very dangerous situation, including the loss of more lives.

"Already more than 6,000 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured," he said.

He warned that a forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza “would complicate the prospects of the two-state solution to resolve the conflict."

"We must work to contain the conflict and prevent its spread in the region,” said al-Sisi. "We are against the killing of all civilians on all sides.”

Macron's Mideast tour

The French president postponed a visit to Sweden and went to Israel on Tuesday, where he met families of hostages taken by Palestine resistance group, Hamas, his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He then met Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, in Ramallah, and headed to Amman to meet Jordan's King Abdullah.

Following a meeting early Wednesday, Macron visited Cairo to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip al-Sisi.

Israel has launched a massive bombardment campaign on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas into Israeli territory on Oct. 7.

More than 7,900 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 6,546 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.

Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been running out of food, water, medicine and fuel, and aid convoys allowed into Gaza have carried a fraction of what is needed.