Palestinian president speaks with Macron, Blinken amid tension with Israel

Palestinian president speaks with Macron, Blinken amid tension with Israel


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke on the telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday, amid escalating tension in the region.

“Abbas (above) emphasised that the current escalation in the region is a result of the political impasse, the denial of the Palestinian people's legitimate right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

“It also touched on the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, their land and their sacred sites and the continued terrorism of Israeli settlers,” Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted WAFA news agency as saying.

“Abbas also highlighted the international community's silence, which has encouraged the Israeli occupation to commit more crimes, as witnessed in Gaza, the West Bank, including Jerusalem, where hundreds of Palestinian civilians have lost their lives, thousands have been injured, and many have been taken captive,” it added.

The Palestinian president also urged Macron “to urgently intervene to halt the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people by Israeli occupation forces and extremist settler groups”.

“I spoke with Abbas to discuss the terrorist attacks against Israel. I urged that all leaders in the region must condemn these appalling acts of terrorism,” Blinken wrote on X (Twitter).

Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood yesterday and said its surprise, multi-front attack was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and increased settler violence. It said it fired rockets and captured many Israelis.

In turn, the Israeli army initiated Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

At least 232 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks, according to medical sources in Gaza, while Israeli authorities put the death toll of its citizens at 300.

- Bernama