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Macron on Israel-Hamas war: Fighting terrorism has to have rules

French President Emmanuel Macron opened a Gaza aid conference Thursday, reiterating calls for a pause in Israel鈥檚 operations against Hamas and addressing the Palestinian enclave鈥檚 growing needs for food, water, health supplies, electricity, and fuel.

First Look

French President Emmanuel Macron opened a Gaza aid conference Nov. 9 with an appeal for Israel to protect civilians as it fights Hamas, saying 鈥渁ll lives have equal worth鈥� and that fighting terrorism 鈥渃an never be carried out without rules.鈥�

The gathering in Paris brought together officials from Western and Arab nations, the United Nations, and nongovernmental organizations, with the aim of providing urgent aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip that is being pounded by Israel in its war against Hamas. Israeli authorities weren鈥檛 invited but have been informed of the talks, Mr. Macron鈥檚 office said.

More than 1.5 million people 鈥� or about 70% of Gaza鈥檚 population 鈥� have fled their homes, and an estimated $1.2 billion is needed to respond to the crisis in Palestinian areas.

Mr. Macron reiterated calls for a humanitarian pause in Israel鈥檚 operations. He said that by attacking Israel on Oct. 7, Hamas 鈥渟houldered the responsibility for exposing Palestinians to terrible consequences,鈥� and he again defended Israel鈥檚 right to defend itself.

But Mr. Macron also stressed that civilians must be protected. 鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely essential. It is non-negotiable,鈥� he said.

鈥淎ll lives have equal worth and there are no double standards for those of us with universal and humanist values,鈥� he said.

鈥淔ighting terrorism can never be carried out without rules. Israel knows that. The trap of terrorism is for all of us the same: giving in to violence and renouncing our values,鈥� he added.

Longer term, Mr. Macron also said diplomatic work must resume on bringing peace to the Middle East, with a two-state solution. 鈥淲e must learn from our errors and no longer accept that peace in the Middle East always be pushed back to later,鈥� he said.

Israel did not respond immediately to the conference鈥檚 outcomes.

Officials from more than 50 nations were attending, including several European countries, the United States, and regional powers such as Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf countries.

Also attending is Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who urged the international community to 鈥減ut an end to the war.鈥�

鈥淗ow many Palestinians have to be killed for the war to end?鈥� he asked. 鈥淲hat Israel is doing is not a war against Hamas, it鈥檚 a war against the whole Palestinian people.鈥�

鈥淲e must take care of the wounded, provide electricity, water, medicines,鈥� Mr. Shtayyeh added.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed that Israel had only allowed limited quantities of humanitarian aid through the Rafah crossing and urged 鈥渢he entire international community, and donor countries in particular, to continue supporting the Palestinian people in Gaza.鈥�

鈥淭he aid that has already entered Gaza is not enough to meet the needs of the entire population, and the voluntary and deliberate complications imposed by Israel on the delivery of aid only lead to a further deterioration of the situation,鈥� he said.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides outlined his plan for a humanitarian sea corridor to Gaza 鈥渢o provide continued rapid, safe and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid in a pragmatic and effective manner.鈥�

He said the plan is being discussed 鈥渨ith all parties concerned, including Israel鈥� and provides options for the short, medium, and longer term. Ships would deliver the aid from Cyprus鈥� main port of Limassol, about 255 miles away.

French officials said they are also considering evacuating injured people to hospital ships in the Mediterranean off the Gaza coast. Paris sent a helicopter carrier off the Cyprus coast and is preparing another with medical capacities on board for that purpose.

The Nov. 9 discussions also include financial support to help Gaza鈥檚 civilians.

Mr. Macron announced that France will provide an additional $85 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza civilians, bringing France鈥檚 funding to a total of $107 million this year.

On Nov. 7, the German government said it will provide $21 million in new funding, in addition to releasing $76 million already earmarked for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees following a review it launched after the Hamas attack.

Denmark has decided to increase its humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza by $10.7 million, to be channeled via U.N. agencies and the International Red Cross.

European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were also attending the conference. The 27-nation bloc is the world鈥檚 top aid supplier to the Palestinians. 鈥淲e have quadrupled the humanitarian support for Gaza and the West Bank, but it鈥檚 mostly for Gaza, to [$107 million],鈥� Ms. von der Leyen said.

In a news conference following the conference, human rights and aid groups urged an immediate cease-fire, which they said is crucial for them to be able to work in Gaza.

Isabelle Defourny, president of Doctors Without Borders France, said 鈥渨e鈥檙e determined to do everything we can, but if the only thing we get is a day or two without fighting 鈥� that won鈥檛 be enough.鈥�

鈥淲e are quite disappointed,鈥� said Jean-Fran莽ois Corty, vice president of Doctors of the World. 鈥淔rom our point of view ... the challenge is not so much to mobilize aid as to get it in [Gaza], so that it can be redistributed.鈥�

The secretary general of Amnesty International, Agn猫s Callamard, said, 鈥渨hat鈥檚 happening in Gaza is a litany of violations of international law ... not seen since World War II,鈥� and denounced 鈥渋ndiscriminate, disproportionate, deliberate attacks.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽AP writers John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, Geir Moulson in Berlin, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this report.