French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel and proposed an international coalition to fight against the Hamas militant group amid its war with Jerusalem.
During his Tuesday visit, Macron did not give out any further details on how the U.S.-led coalition of dozens of countries could be involved in the Israel-Hamas war. The coalition is currently fighting against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
International Coalition Against Hamas
The French president's advisers said that the coalition's participation would not necessarily imply having boots on the ground. They argued that it could simply mean they would share intelligence with each other.
Macron spoke alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem where he stressed that the two countries shared terrorism as their "common enemy." He added that France is ready for the international coalition against Daesh in which the country is taking part in operations in Iraq and Syria to also widen its scope to include the Hamas group, as per Reuters.
The French president previously warned against the risks of a regional conflict and added that the fight against the Hamas group must be done "without mercy" but not "without rules." Netanyahu did not directly comment on Macron's proposal but noted that the fight was a battle between "evil" and the free world.
Macron's office said that the proposal was to draw inspiration from the coalition and that France was available to discuss with Israel and partners what could be relevant against the terrorist group.
It noted that the international coalition against Daesh does not limit itself to operations on the ground but also has involvement in the training of Iraqi forces, the sharing of information between partners, and fighting against funding for terrorist groups.
Netanyahu said that they plan to dismantle Hamas' terror machine and its political structure. He added that Israel will make every effort to release the hostages and keep Palestinian civilians out of harm's way, according to the New York Times.
Fighting Against Terrorism
The Israeli prime minister acknowledged that the fight against the Hamas militant group could be a "long war." Netanyahu noted that the conflict could be a test case of civilization against barbarism.
The two global leaders have drawn parallels between the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7 in Israel and those that have struck France over the past decade. Netanyahu told Macron that he knows the barbarism of terrorism, noting that no one can live in a place filled with that sort of cruelty.
The French president also recalled a time in January 2015 when Netanyahu took part in a massive march after terrorist attacks that killed 17 people in and near Paris. During the recent Hamas assault, 30 French citizens were killed, which is the worst toll for a terror attack against French people since 2016.
Macron's proposal could also allow Western powers to have greater influence over how the Gaza-based group is tackled. Some have expressed concerns about leaving Israel in sole charge of fighting the terrorist group. This is because an unconstrained campaign has the potential to turn into a regional conflagration with reverberations in European capitals, said The Guardian.
