European leaders stand with Israel

French President Emmanuel Macron made a two-day trip to the Middle East this week, meeting with leaders in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Egypt.

"The fight must be without mercy, but not without rules, because we are democracies that are fighting against terrorists, democracies that respect the laws of war, democracies that do not target civilians, in Gaza or elsewhere," he said during a joint press conference with Mr Netanyahu on Tuesday.

Affirming his support for Israel's "right to defend itself", Mr Macron proposed a "regional and international coalition" to fight against Hamas, drawing inspiration from the US-led coalition working against Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria.

Mr Netanyahu has not commented on the French offer, and US officials have indicated it would require support from Arab nations to have any chance at success — so far none have publicly weighed in on the idea.

Leaders from the Netherlands, Greece, Austria and Czechia have also visited Israel this week, while a two-day summit of the European Council began overnight to discuss "how to urgently ensure the effective delivery of humanitarian aid … and avoid a dangerous regional escalation of the conflict".

Some, including Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Luxembourg and Slovenia, have called for a ceasefire, while others have avoided that wording and advocated for a "humanitarian pause".

The EU has so far this year allocated 78 million euros in humanitarian funding for Gaza, to be managed by organisations on the ground, while France is among nations sending aid directly to Egypt for safe passage into Gaza.

The Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt's Sinai peninsula is the only gateway out of the Palestinian enclave that is not controlled by Israel.

It has remained largely shut since October 10, with limited openings to allow some humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Speaking from Egypt on Thursday, Mr Macron warned that a massive operation that endangers Palestinian civilians, "would be an error for Israel", and again called for humanitarian aid to be allowed to enter without obstacle.

Source: ABC.AU

Story by : Michelle Rimmer  

Original Story: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-27/israel-gaza-war-stokes-tensions-across-europe/103019446