Macron proposes the extension of the international coalition to fight against Hamas

Emmanuel Macron, visiting Israel, voiced the hope that the international coalition formed to fight the Islamic State would likewise engage in the fight against Hamas.

On an official visit to Israel, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed Tuesday in Jerusalem the idea that the international coalition currently present in Iraq and Syria to counter the Islamic State should widen its scope of action to include the fighting against Hamas.

During a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Macron expressed his solidarity and emotion towards the Israeli people, regarding the attack as a black page in French history due to the loss of 30 French lives. He furthermore confirmed that nine French nationals are still being held hostage by Hamas.

Emmanuel Macron called for international cooperation which would be based on the model of the international operation Inherent Resolve, created in 2014. This coalition brings together 80 countries dedicated to the fight against Daesh. France is partaking in Operation Chammal, offering military support to Iraqi forces involved in the fight against the Islamic State.

For Israel, French involvement in an international coalition of the Inherent Resolve type could include airstrikes, the deployment of the French fleet in the Mediterranean and Abu Dhabi, as well as the use of air and intelligence assets based in Jordan.

The extension of this coalition to fight Hamas will depend on the willingness of other member nations, in particular the United States, to engage in a new coalition of this type. So far, there has been coordination in the statements of Western allies regarding the situation in the Middle East.