courtesy: The Hindu
Advertisement
French President Emmanuel Macron said, on Friday, there was “no justification” for Israel’s bombing of “these babies, these ladies, and these old people” in the war against Hamas, reiterating his call for ceasefire in Gaza.
“So we do urge Israel to stop,” Macron told BBC, expressing hope that other leaders from the West will join him in his call.
The comment made by Macron met with pushback from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Hamas was to blame for civilian casualties as a result of its devastating onslaught in southern Israel last month.
Netanyahu accused Hamas of using the civilians as human shields, whereas Israel has offered safe passage for all the civilians to move away from the fighting zone. The statement made by the PM was likening the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group to the Islamic State jihadist organisation, ISIS.
He added that Hamas has been holding “our hostages – women, children, and the elderly – in a crime against humanity” and uses “school, mosques, and hospitals as terror command centers.”
The premier added that the attacks conducted by Hamas in the Gaza Strip could be carried out in Paris, New York and everywhere around the world. “World leaders must condemn Hamas-ISIS and not Israel.