French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza do not constitute genocide, contrary to a recent UN report.
Macron, in an interview with CBS News, clarified that France does not qualify Israel’s actions as genocide, insisting that this is not a political statement but rather a matter for judges or historians to assess based on evidence and international law.
The UN commission of inquiry published its report on Tuesday, concluding that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, citing multiple acts that fall under the 1948 Genocide Convention. These include deliberate measures to destroy the Palestinian population in whole or in part, as well as the killing of unprecedented numbers of people in the enclave.
The current death toll in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, has surpassed 65,000 as of Saturday, raising urgent concerns about the humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, thirteen countries, including Belgium, Brazil, and Türkiye, are supporting a genocide case brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice. This case argues that Israel has violated the Genocide Convention of 1948, which it is a signatory to, even though it is not a party to the ICC’s statute.
Earlier this week, the Israel Defense Forces intensified its campaign against Hamas, launching a major ground offensive on Gaza City. This move is designed to dismantle the militant group’s remaining networks and to expedite the release of remaining Israeli hostages. Hamas, in its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, captured more than 250 hostages and killed around 1,200 people. The Israeli military claims that the group still holds around 48 hostages, though the exact number of survivors is not publicly known.