France to accelerate humanitarian operations in Gaza, says Macron

ANKARA (AA) – French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that France will intensify its humanitarian assistance to Gaza following the recent Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt.

Speaking to reporters at the airport after the summit, Macron welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of 20 Israeli hostages. He said aid deliveries in Gaza had already begun “with greater intensity than planned” and would further accelerate starting Tuesday.

Macron added that France will coordinate with the US and Israel to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the enclave without obstruction.

He also announced plans to hold a humanitarian aid conference for Gaza in the coming weeks as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal. “In the second phase, funds will be mobilized to rapidly restart the stabilization and reconstruction of Gaza,” he said.

The French leader noted that the UN Security Council had reached a consensus to move toward a resolution involving the Palestinian Authority and other stakeholders, with technical discussions on Hamas’s disarmament expected to begin soon.

The ceasefire plan, announced by US President Donald Trump on Sept. 29, includes three stages: the release of hostages and prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the creation of a new governing mechanism in Gaza supported by a multinational force.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,800 Palestinians — most of them women and children — and left much of Gaza in ruins.