Macron doubts Netanyahu's war aims
With the end of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, France's president is resuming his role as a self-appointed war advisor. Netanyahu's goals in the Gaza Strip are unrealistic, a permanent ceasefire is needed instead, says Macron.
Following the expiry of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, French President Emmanuel Macron has warned Israel against a long war and called for the protection of the Palestinian civilian population. The war against the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas has "reached a point where the Israeli authorities must define their goal and desired end state more precisely", Macron said at a press conference on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai.
Regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's target of completely destroying Hamas, Macron said: "What is the complete destruction of Hamas and does anyone believe it is possible? If so, the war will last for ten years." The French president called for "intensified efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire". Macron traveled on from Dubai to Doha to meet Qatar's head of state, Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Qatar plays a leading mediating role in the war between Israel and Hamas. However, when Macron arrived in the Qatari capital, Israel had already ordered its negotiator back from there because the talks on a renewed ceasefire in the Gaza Strip were at an "impasse".
Netanyahu had previously announced that he would continue the war against the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip "until we have achieved all our goals". This included the release of all Israeli hostages and the eradication of Hamas, Netanyahu said. The continuation of the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip was "indispensable" for this. "During the days of the ceasefire, our soldiers have been preparing for a total victory against Hamas," said Netanyahu at his first press conference since the end of the ceasefire.
Pentagon draws comparison to war against IS
On Friday morning, a seven-day ceasefire between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas expired, which had been used for the release of Hamas hostages and aid deliveries for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army then continued its military operation against Hamas, while the radical Islamic Palestinian organization again fired rockets at Israel.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called on Israel to ensure the protection of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. Speaking at a defense forum in California, he said he had "learned a thing or two about warfare in urban areas" when he fought in Iraq and led the US offensive against the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS). "Like Hamas, IS was deeply embedded in urban areas," Austin said. "And the international alliance against IS has worked hard to protect civilians and establish humanitarian corridors even during the fiercest fighting."
"The lesson is not that you can win a war in urban areas by protecting civilians," the US Secretary of Defense concluded. "The lesson is that you can only win a war in urban areas by protecting civilians." If armed forces "drive the civilian population into the arms of the enemy", then they turn "a tactical victory into a strategic defeat", warned Austin.
Read also:
- Pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down parts ways with 9 Days CEO, marking yet another shakeup
- Freiburg want to take momentum from Piraeus gala to Mainz
Despite France's President Macron expressing doubts about Israel's war aims, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu remains adamant about continuing the war against Hamas in Gaza, aiming to release all Israeli hostages and eradicate Hamas entirely. This hostility towards Hamas has led to a cycle of violence, with Hamas continuing to fire rockets at Israel. The international community, including US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, has urged Israel to prioritize the protection of civilian populations in the Gaza Strip, as failing to do so could turn a tactical victory into a strategic defeat.
Source: www.ntv.de
