By Blessing Chinagorom
The French President, Emmanuel Macron said he has decided to charter a new aircraft from the Air Force that will transport over 10 tonnes of medical supplies early next week which will include two mobile medical units to treat approximately 500 severely injured individuals each.
Macron who disclosed this when giving suitation update on social media platform Sunday said the population of Gaza need emergency humanitarian aid which must arrive as quickly and safely as possible and requires an immediate humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire.
Speaking of funding, he said during the Humanitarian Conference for the civilian population of Gaza that was organized in Paris in November, one billion euros were mobilized for the benefit of United Nations agencies, including UNRWA, the ICRC, and NGOs, with a French contribution of 100 million euros.
“Regarding humanitarian flights, three rotations of an A400M aircraft have already been carried out to Al Arish in Egypt. Over 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid for civilian populations have been delivered”.
The President revealed that France will also contribute to the European effort with humanitarian cargo on European flights on November 23rd, 30th and the amphibious helicopter carrier Dixmude will set sail early next week to arrive in Egypt in the coming days.
“It is equipped for hospital support with a capacity of 40 beds. This ship is intended to treat the most severe cases and facilitate the transfer of injured civilians to nearby hospitals, if necessary.
“Regarding the injured or ill children in Gaza in need of urgent care, France is mobilizing all available means, especially air transport, so that they can receive treatment in France if it is useful and necessary. Arrangements are made to receive up to 50 patients in our hospitals”.
Macron on Sunday spoke with President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud ABBAS while recalling that France is doing everything possible, with its partners, to obtain the release of all the hostages held in Gaza, in particular its eight compatriots.
He also recalled the need for the Palestinian Authority and all countries in the region to condemn unequivocally with the greatest firmness the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on October 7, which caused 1,200 victims, including 40 French.
Both Presidents discussed the situation in the West Bank and the head of state condemned the violence committed there against Palestinian civilians and underlined the demands Macron expressed to the Israeli authorities so that they put an end to it.
The two presidents insisted on the need for a rapid resumption of the political process in order to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians to have a state, living in peace and security alongside the State of Israel.
Macron also spoke with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benyamin NETANYAHOU once again expressed his solidarity with Israel in the face of the horror of the terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas in Israel on October 7, which left 1,200 victims, including 40 French people.
They discussed the current steps and the mobilization of the partners involved to obtain the immediate release of all the hostages. The President of the Republic recalled that this was an absolute priority for France.
Macron drew the attention of the Israeli Prime Minister to the humanitarian risks and the too many civilian losses linked to the ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip, reminding him of the absolute need to distinguish terrorists from the population and to provide effective protection to civilians.
Faced with the urgent needs in Gaza, the Head of State reiterated the importance of establishing an immediate humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire and presented France’s action while Israeli Prime Minister reiterated his support for France to step up its humanitarian action for the benefit of civilians in Gaza.
The French President reiterated the need to open a political horizon and recommit his availability to contribute to this with all of France partners and also recalled that only solution of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, will ensure stability in the Middle East.